A Criminal's Promise
by Faithchild
Summary: Escaping war torn East Germany, Petra, the daughter of the noble Ral family must struggle to survive amidst trying to escape criminals and bounty seekers coming after her. When she stumbles upon the one and only most well known criminal, she must learn to decide whether her captor is someone she can possibly face or even trust in this time of tribulations.
1. Storm

Hey dudes! I'm back with an Attack On Titan fanfic this time. There was so much I wanted to see of Levi and Petra in the anime, I thought I might as well materialize it through a story set back during World War 2 because I feel it reflects a time of strife and conflicts similar to the setting of Attack On Titan. I won't delve too into the setting, however, but it's definitely there to set the stage of my story which revolves more around the characters' development.

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack On Titan nor its characters (Levi and Petra). The original series was written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama.

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Chapter 1: Storm

"Don't say his name. They say it's bad luck."

"The Ackerman boy. Yes, him. They say he—"

"He's only the most wanted criminal. Of course that Soviet scum would hire him to capture the daughter of the Ral family."

"Word has it that the Rals have sent her away towards the mountain pass so she can escape into Poland."

"Sh! Someone might hear you. But how do you know that?"

"Word goes around."

"The uprising is only going to get worse from here."

/

A storm blazed outside relentlessly, howling winds rattling the secure windows of the carriage. Snowflakes had begun to stick pleadingly against the glass and the young girl sitting inside brushed aside the curtain to peer out into the haze. Lights in the distance amidst the swirling tufts of snow reminded her of fireflies in the lily gardens back home, flickering indistinctly.

 _Home._

"I'll be back." Despite the stoic stillness of the rest of her determined features, a lone tear betrayed its hold and fell down her cheek. She clenched her hold of the curtain.

The carriage suddenly stopped moving and she heard men yelling outside, bellowing in fact, as it would have been hard to hear even oneself over the snow storm.

The horse had begun to whine, sounding distraught.

Then, stark silence.

Something was very wrong.

The girl shifted in her seat, squinting through her window to try and see something, anything, but to no avail. Holding her breath, she unlatched the door to check out what had gone wrong. Maybe someone had caught up to them? What if Father and Mother had come back to collect her and the war was over? What if-

Cold air whipped through the opened hatch, flooding her space.

Everything happened very fast then.

The girl shielded her face with her arm, looking down and away from the chilling wind, only to lay her eyes on a bright patch of red staining the snow. Two huddled heaps lay next to it.

 _...Blood. Bodies._

She stepped back hard, dizziness racking her mind.

Horrified, her eyes slid up to stare incredulously at the figure standing next to the crumpled forms, her vision now registering a man dressed in dark attire, contrast of the white coats of her own men. The male stood with a knife in his hand, stained the same scarlet.

He snapped his head to look at her, eyes peeking out from under jet black hair. No lethal glare, no surprise. He was responsible for this and had done it intentionally. Easily. That much was clear. "Stop." His steady voice ordered, calm.

But she didn't hear. She kept stepping back.

And felt herself falling backwards off the slippery slope, balance slipping from her mind and body.

 _This is it. I should have at least stayed with Mama and Papa so I could see their faces last._

She felt the world around her dwindle away and everything went black.


	2. The Cave

Author's Note: Don't forget to let me know what you think so far. Thank you for the support! Side note, the character introduced in this chapter named Shane is about 16 years old.

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack On Titan nor its characters (Levi,Petra and Hanji). The original series was written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama.

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Chapter 2: The Cave

"Wake up.

Hey…

Cmon, wake up!"

The hum of a voice grew louder and louder, like a drum gaining on the girl's consciousness. Waking up felt a lot like lifting her head out of hot water as her lids slowly parted, the darkness replaced by a blurred image of a curious boy's face far too close for comfort.

The boy called out, "She's awake! Hey, what's your name?"

Holding her hand against her forehead, "Petra. I'm...Petra."

"Petra, huh? Oh, so you are her."

A searing bright light beside them came into focus. _Fire._ The blonde haired boy backed away in time to her sitting up, her eyes hazily scanning the cave-like dwelling around them. In the process, Petra caught sight of a form in the shadows opposite of the fire. He sat with his arm resting atop one knee, glancing in their direction.

"Hey. Don't get up in her face, brat." The form spoke abruptly.

Petra absently stared through the crackling fire separating her and the dark haired male that had spoken, his still silhouette suggesting him to be staring right back at her. _That voice...something about it._

Memories crashed into her like a tidal wave.

She lunged for a twig lying on the ground - almost falling over in the hurry - and jabbed it impulsively in the direction of the blonde boy beside her, successfully scraping his arm.

He yelped, throwing fists up in defense, taken by surprise.

Hazel orbs desperately scanning, she turned on her heel towards the direction of the black haired male but found the spot empty.

He was gone.

Before she could think further, a hand grabbed her wrist and pinned it behind her head, a leg clicking underneath hers, making her knees fall to the ground with a hard thud. Tears welled in her eyes.

"Shane. Go to Hange."

The boy she had attacked nodded, complying with what he was told. He held his bleeding arm close as he stood, stealing a confused glance in Petra's direction before scurrying off. The sound of boots clacking on the ground grew farther and farther away.

Now, It was just her and her captor.

"You won't get away with what you did." She managed to croak out finally, breaking the silence.

The steady hold on her wrist loosened and suddenly let free. Petra held in a breath, expecting a knocking blow to her face. But all that came was the shuffling sound of someone walking away. Her eyes flew to the sharp twig on the ground that she had dropped.

"If you had the smallest ounce of the brain of a rat, you'd give up trying to fight me with that blasted stick."

She winced at his foresight more than the words, shakily turning her head in the direction of his voice. The male seated himself atop a lumpy rock situated closer to the fire, face illuminated from the searing light as he placed his elbows on his knees. If he was trying to intimidate her, it was working. If he was placing distance between them to make her feel like she had more freedom than she did, that was working as well.

 _Who does he work for? Is he going to kill me or is he after the reward money?_

"You must have already devised the kind of situation you are in. The best thing you can do is be compliant but that's all up to you. Just know you'll be under my watch from now on." He paused. "If you need alone time to reflect back on your happy rich brat memories growing up, I'll be there, and if you need to take a shit you'd best believe I'll be in the room over...in case you think it a good enough idea to try escaping in such a sorry state."

 _Under his watch?_ She swallowed hard, frozen in place. He was planning on using her as an asset. That much was clear. And the malice-free blunt way he stated everything speared on some hidden courage in her.

"What happened to my men?" Petra blurted out, having a feel of the answer but wanting to hear it said aloud.

"Is that what you should be worrying about in your current state?"

She had seen it when he stood over the bodies of the men. The ones that had been in her family's service for years and tasked with delivering her to her safe destination. Finely weeded out as well proponents in combat, the best at what they do. And he had taken their lives all too easily.

"...They're alive."

 _What?!_ "But the blood-"

"Shut up and listen to the full story if that's what you asked for." Petra's mouth formed a fine line, eyebrows scrunched. He continued, "I stabbed one in their non vital before knocking them both out. Once they come to their senses, the one without a wound should be able to take the other back before he bleeds to death."

"You left them in the cold?!" Her voice rose. It was beyond her that he had spared their lives to begin with as he was a definite criminal but she couldn't help but wonder aloud.

"For a rich brat like you to be so concerned about some carriage tenders...Did you sleep with one of them?"

Petra's eyes widened. "How could you make such a - They were not just carriage tenders, they-"

"Levi! What happened? Shane told me she's awake?!" A deep female voice grew near, echoing off the cave walls.

"Tch, why is that four eyes so loud…"

 _Levi? Why did that name sound so familiar..._

Petra glanced around cautiously. The muscles in her arm felt slightly sore from the struggle some moments ago but not bad enough that she had to do anything about it. She knew she had to lay low for now until the first opportunity of escape presented itself. She was not only outmatched and outnumbered but unsure about her captors' end motives. Not that she wanted to wait long enough to find out. She assumed the rude black haired one named Levi was their leader or a solo worker of some sort with connections. She couldn't get on his bad side. Her first attempt had proven futile, even moreso a lucky break.

The originator of the voice stepped through into their space then, fixing the goggle like glasses she wore over her eyes.

"Why hello there! I'm Hange." She waved at Petra, a notion almost comical if it weren't for the current climate and predicament she were in. The older woman grinned maniacally at the fellow named Levi. "The horses are ready. We head out into Rostock tonight."


	3. The Forest

Author's Note: I feel like writing stories really helps me wind down at the end of the day and the reviews coming in lately have been encouraging me to get the story down faster. Thank you guys for your support and enthusiasm! Hehe I get so excited when I see that someone really liked how I wrote something or look forward to the upcoming plot.

* * *

Chapter 3: The Forest

Petra found herself forced to wear a long trench like garb over her clothing.

"Perfect! It even hides your hmm what hair color even is that? You have milky ginger kinda hair." The woman named Hange had chimed, still absurdly ecstatic for an accomplice of a royal kidnapper which was more or less considered a felony, no big deal.

"Why are you describing her hair like it's a concept. Does that make yours' shit colored?" Levi had added in passing.

"And yours of death?" The boy named Shane had yelled out from where he was, a bold feat. He hadn't been avoiding her, like she expected for someone who had been attacked in a confused frenzy and gotten his arm hurt in the process. He had passed by her a few times, curiously peering over and even risking a nervous smile or two. The times she noticed, she had simply stared back confused. _What is a young boy doing here anyway_ , she thought, hoping it was nothing along the lines of training to be a law breaking rebel. Her wishful thinking certainly was at play.

When Petra stepped outside the mouth of the cave with the others already waiting outside and Levi at her heels, she found herself on the verge of tears. Despite the enveloping darkness of the night, she could still make out her carriage horse in the moonlight as it lay waiting outside, standing alongside two other grey alabaster horses.

"Pino…?" Holding her hand up to its muzzle, she felt its warm breath exhale out in clouds of cold air, tickling her palm. _If that man had brought the horse back with him, that must have left my guardsmen out in the snow with no means of getting anywhere fast enough had they needed to quickly inform officials of my abduction_. He had clearly planned every step accordingly.

"We don't have time to stand around thinking about how the world has gone to hell." A voice came from behind her.

"That's not what I was doing." Petra tried to keep her voice as neutral as possible, not wanting to give away any hint of defiance or annoyance, struggling with the latter. Petra glanced sideways in time to see Levi mount her horse and in a desperate realization, began counting the horses again. "There are four of us and three horses."

"You're riding with me." The raven haired male stared her down, most likely contemplating how stupid a rich daughter of a well known german merchant must be to have never come to that conclusion on her own. If he did, he stayed quiet about it.

Before she could protest, a voice from behind "Excuse me, up ya go" startled her and she let out a sound of surprise as someone carefully lifted her up by the waist and placed her on the saddle in front of Levi. When she looked down, Shane looked back up at her almost apologetically. The boy was far taller than she imagined.

She couldn't decide whether to say thank you for the lift or protest this arrangement. Neither did she have time because just as she adjusted herself and took ahold of the edge of the saddle for balance, the horse took off.

She felt dirty. Being so close to this person with unknown motives and having no way to know whether she would be alive at the end of it all. She had mentally prepared herself for the worst at the beginning of the threats faced by her family but it was the uncertainty that made her fold into her body now as the breeze whipped at her face.

Although, she could have been in a much worse situation. The fact that made her current one a torturous settlement was that she didn't know what to think. Were these people safe? They had fed her, clothed her, even been friendly to her? Minus the leader's rude reprieves. Petra found her environment absurdly void of hostility. She was a hostage yet felt oddly unlike one.

Everyone kept more so to themselves whenever they stopped for breaks which was not very often.

Shane lay next to his horse, rummaging through his belongings and she had come to realize he was the group's designated hunter for food. Hange seemed very much a strategist and in sync with their next move as was obvious with the way Levi often let her take the lead in briefings amongst the three of them.

Whenever Levi so much as walked past, Petra found herself straightening up, not wanting to elicit a comment from him. She didn't like him very much. And she found herself almost smiling for the first time with that thought because what were the odds that anyone in her situation should like the person that had destroyed her one ploy to escape the war and have a chance of seeing her family again?

It was when they had entered a small forest, dismounting their horses, that they came across company for the first time that night.

It was a group of three men. All dressed in traditional german clothing: long pant versions of Lederhosens and overcoats. But they didn't look German at all. Nor did they speak German. Much like the group of three she was traveling with.

"Hello! Are you all on your way somewhere?" Their head man asked, eyeing the group discreetly.

"Yes, just a town over is all ha ha!" Hange took the liberty to answer, speaking loud and certain. Despite Hange's show of leadership, the man's eyes came to settle on Levi and then her.

"You all look... new around here. Traveling is dangerous at night, especially nowadays. Would you like us to scout you to the town?" He licked his lips, adjusting his hand around the small potato sack he held at his shoulder.

"We're fine. I'd rather we made the way ourselves." Levi spoke, not even sparing another glance before continuing to walk forward, holding the reins of the horse in one hand.

Hange began to walk after Levi, Shane nervously glancing around before tugging on Petra's sleeve. The man continued to stare at her fully covered form, obviously not done conversing.

"Uh, hey, let's get goin'." Shane pulled a little harder and Petra began to walk but then stopped abruptly.

This was her chance, no matter how futile. When would this kind of opportunity present itself again with other people around like this?

She brought down her hood, ginger hair tumbling down around the perimeters of her face.

"Please! I'm Petra Ral! Please help me! They're trying to take me away!" Her words tumbled over themselves and she found herself gasping for air into the silence that followed.

The three that had begun walking froze. Levi's eyes flew to the men in front of them.

"Impossible. You're..." The man stood shocked, her declaration overcoming him. He looked over at his two mates beside him who were now beginning to open their mouths in surprise. Then a kind of mischievous light flickered in their irises and the head man began grinning at her. "The Ral gal? The one with the...bounty on her?"

She froze, eyes like saucers.

"Tsk tsk trying to keep her all to yourselves?" Without a second exchange or glance at the others, he lunged for her.

She tripped backwards in a feeble rush, falling hard on some tree roots as the man came to close over her.

In a flash of movement, he was suddenly knocked over as Levi dove his knife into the man's neck with one hand and used his other to twist the man's arm into a gross angle. The man started to scream but all that came out was a muffled gurgle. He fell onto the floor of the forest, blood pooling around him.

The scene before her turned into a living hell.

The man's mate came after him, yelling, and Levi turned just in time and sprang forward, kneeing the mate hard in the ribs. He toppled over himself, screaming bloody murder which ended swiftly just as Levi brought down the end of his blade's hilt to the man's head with an audible _crack_ , silencing him.

Petra brought her hands over her mouth, feeling bile rise up.

"W-wait, you're. You're that...You're him." The last man standing pointed at Levi who had stood back up, twirling the bloodied blade in his hand so it faced forward, the next target. The man turned and ran, ducking behind trees as he did so.

He did not reach very far as an arrow lodged square into his back and his body fell forward.

The dead weight way his body hit the floor felt like the loudest sound ever to Petra's ears. Her eyes shot up towards the source of the arrow and saw Shane lowering his bow. Her stomach gave way and she threw up.

All she could register in the moment was the feeling of someone holding her hair up and out of the way as she let out all her hidden fears.


	4. Cinnamon Tea

Author's Note: It's 1 AM here right now and I should be studying for my OPRE exam but ooops.

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Chapter 4: Cinnamon Tea

The rest of the ride was overwhelmingly quiet. Petra rode with Hange after the latter had helped her clean up and situate herself, the other two taking the time to dispose of the bodies.

Shane had stolen a few worried glances in their direction before coming over to ask if she needed anything. Petra had just stared down at her hands, shaking her head no. She couldn't look any of them straight in the eye after what she had done, scared that they would ask her why she ratted them out and go on to punish her for it like she imagined normal captors would or even worse, continue being kind to her like they were being now.

Levi avoided conversing with her the entirety of the trip until they stopped by a nearby town to rest.

Shane left to secure the horses in the stables while Hange left for whatever reason, leaving Petra alone in the loft with Levi.

He looked at her sideways. She gulped.

"I should commend you for what you did out there, it was brave. When I said you seem to understand the situation you're in, I was wrong. I'll have to explain to you what situation you're in." His hand grabbed at the back of a wooden chair next to him and slid it towards her.

Petra jumped at the sudden moving object, taking a hold of it.

"Sit down."

She didn't have to be told twice. Sitting down quickly, she nervously fidgeted with the hems of her sleeves, not even caring to bring her hood down now that they were inside.

"I'm not here to babysit your high crown ass. Do you understand the kind of people that are after you? There are half witted dirty old gamblers out here, professional thieves barely making ends meet after your bounty, soviet generals after your land and your livelihood, disgusting low lifes after whatever they can salvage."

"And you?"

"..."

"What are you after then?" She kept her eyes on her shoes, biting her lip hard. Were her shoes ever that dirty in her life? Her black dress shoes always polished, shining like the base of a piano head. Now it was dirtied with mud and scratches all along the sides, one lace stubbed short.

A long silence passed between them before he spoke, quieter than a minute ago. "You're just going to have to trust us."

She looked up at that only to find him staring solemnly at her. It was the first time after her capture making eye contact with him and now she understood why she'd avoided it all along. She couldn't rid her mind of the image of his eyes when she'd spotted him outside the carriage, standing amidst red-stained snow.

Petra looked away quickly, her heart beating in her ears. "How can I trust you after you killed those men?" _And if you are holding me captive like this in the first place,_ she added in her head.

"They knew who you were. We couldn't risk them telling anyone or else news of your whereabouts would spread."

"But you-"

"..and more people would come after you. Is that what you want?"

She glared at her shoes now. _I want to be home._ "I just don't know why I'm here."

"Trust us."

She looked up for a second time at his repeated statement, thankfully finding him looking away this time.

/

Getting just a sliver of sleep was like a forgotten luxury. Petra hadn't gotten any at all in more than a day and allowing herself to doze off on the horse throughout last night's trip hadn't ever been an option. Now seeing the decent bed in the corner suddenly brought forth a feeling of tiredom she hadn't been paying very much heed to.

"Maybe if I just took a little nap", she said to herself tiredly, sitting at the very edge of the hard mattress.

Shane had gotten back right after her and Levi's "conversation" had come to more or less of a conclusion. She didn't understand what their back and forths achieved but looking at the pillow now, she suddenly felt thankful for whoever had taken the liberty to allow them to stay at this place. _Who's place could this even be? Accomplices of high class criminals? Could they know I'm here, too, then?_

The events of the forest continued to haunt her mind as she lay her head gently atop the feather pillow, nerves still on high alert from it all. What if that man had gotten to her? What if his men had ended up capturing her instead and treating her worse than these people had? They sure seemed far more piqued by her bounty than her current company ever did. Who were the real criminals then?

 _'You're just going to have to trust us.'_

But could she really?

She didn't know how her eyes had been able to keep up with his movements out in the forest, the way he had stabbed that man right in front of her. She winced at the memory, stomach beginning to feel weak again. Opening her eyes, Petra could barely make out the outline of Levi's shirt as he stood with his back against the nearest wall. He wasn't lying about keeping watch. She scrunched her face, turning over on her other side so she wouldn't have to be reminded of the fact that she was still a prisoner at the end of it all.

/

She woke up not too long after having dozed off, hearing the chimes of bells throughout town signaling noon.

Stepping out, Petra found Shane snoozing on the floor beside the chair she had sat on. Her eyes searched around the room, not finding the product of her anxiety. _He must be out_ , she thought, almost hysterically relieved.

Believing she may be free from his tabs after all, she turned around abruptly only to let out a small shriek at none other than the dark haired male himself staring at her from his seated position atop a couch, looking unamused.

"You—I was just...I, I'm hungry. Do you think there's a—a kitchen? Oh it's right beside us. Yes, that's what that is. I wasn't looking for you," she blurted out finally, nervous. The uncomfortable silence that followed served enough of an excuse for her to take off towards the kitchen, hoping he wouldn't stop her—God, it's not like she even knew what she was allowed and not allowed to do. Once a minute passed of not being pursued into the kitchen, the gingerhead let out a held breath.

She noticed a kettle in the very corner which came with a pang of nostalgia. _I can make some tea_ , she smiled to herself. And that's exactly what she set out to do, quietly rummaging through the cupboards for the cutlery, retrieving a few tea leaves and spices from a cabinet - a grand distraction from her current trials. She poured a cup for herself. Her eyes lingered on the extra tea cups, hesitant. It couldn't hurt.

Walking back into the hall, she found Levi where he had been last but this time with his head laid back, eyes closed in a display of resting sleep.

 _I'm doing this because I want to stay on his good side_ , she nodded to herself, approving of her own reasoning. With a shaky hand, she placed the saucer on the seat beside him, surprised when his hand reached over for the cup.

"You were god awfully loud in there. You might as well have been clattering the damn plates next to my ear."

Petra felt her face heat up, half with rage but also embarrassment. She turned around, beginning to walk away. "A thank you would have sufficed...sir." She added at the end for desperate patching up, though as an afterthought it felt odd to say as he couldn't possibly be that much older than her to address him as such.

"Levi."

She stopped in her tracks, turning around.

"Call me Levi. We might as well get acquainted with each other from now on." He took a sip of the tea, eyes peering up at her.

"Ah…" She lost track of how long she stood there with her mouth open from surprise. She cleared her throat. "And I'm Petra which you already know seeing as how you've looked into my life and know I'm the _rich brat_ daughter of a wealthy merchant and much all else." She bit her tongue, feeling like this time she surely had spoken too much.

She was saved a response when Shane's groggy voice cut through, "Do I smell cinnamon?"

"Tea?" The girl shot the blonde a skeptical smile, finding the perfect escape from her current awkward situation as she walked towards him with the tray.

What Petra didn't see was Levi barely smile into his drink, incredibly taken aback by her witty response to his unsuspecting display of courtesy.


	5. A Small Clothing Shop

Author's Note: I have a huge crush on Lalisa Manoban.

* * *

Chapter 5: A Small Clothing Shop

"I don't blame you for telling those people in the forest who you were, by the way. I know I woulda done the same."

Petra had just finished eating the bread and cheese Hange had distributed after arriving back to their location, alluding to the fact the brunette had taken a little tour into the town super market. Petra stayed in her room the rest of the day, coming up with various avenues on how to pass this time being held captive. When she heard a voice by the entrance, she looked up to see Shane standing with his leather bag slung over his shoulder.

"I...I know you're scared and it must be hard being away from home." He continued. "And to top it all off, Levi took you away from your people. You prolly don't know what to think of us."

The ginger-head quietly absorbed everything he said. This boy with short sandy blonde hair, perhaps a good foot taller than her, couldn't possibly be much older than her younger brother. She felt a pang of longing for her home at his mention of it. "You call him Levi?"

He scratched his head, a goofy smile beginning to spread on his face. "Yeah. He told me to even though he's bout 10 years older." After a short moment, he added randomly, "You make great tea!"

Petra blinked at the topic change, smiling suddenly. "I learned it from my mom back in the day. It's just me, my father, and siblings now, however because she's been in a coma for some months. So I've always been the designated tea maker." She found herself rambling, absurdly comfortable giving away pieces of her life.

Petra felt further encouraged when Shane sat down on the ground near her door, crossing his legs as he continued to listen with an eager smile. Normally, this would have been an odd situation but she couldn't stop to understand what had come over her. "It has been hard. It's been a few weeks since I've seen them when they sent me off. But I know I'll see them again. I think...I don't know what you all want but...I feel like you aren't after my livelihood. And with what people _are_ after nowadays...I think I'm happy knowing that much."

Shane nodded slowly, eyes wide as he placed his bag down beside him, unsure how to answer. She seemed to slightly trust him with everything related and he had enjoyed every moment of it. He was glad there was someone he could engage in conversation with now. The boy took in a dramatically deep breath.

"That was probably a bit much...huh?"

He looked up and Petra's eyes widened at how watery his were.

"A-are you crying? Ahh, I'm sorry you're so young. I shouldn't have put my whole life story on you like that." She placed her hands on the edge of the bed, unsure of whether she should approach the blonde or stay where she was.

"It's nothin. Got something in my eye. And hey! I'm not that little!" He exclaimed, rubbing his eyes, looking away. "I'm probably close to your age yaknow."

Petra couldn't help but burst out into a giggle at that, closing her eyes. When she opened them, she quickly brought her fist over her mouth and cleared her throat, face folding back into seriousness.

Shane's mouth contorted into a confused pout and he turned to look up behind him and found Levi standing there, holding a few heavy loaded bags over his shoulder and under his arm.

"It's time to get going. Shane, go get the horses ready."

"Alrighty, will do." Shane stood up.

"Before you go..." she started, standing up swiftly after Levi left, "I never apologized for the first time I attacked you. I wasn't in the best place but that isn't an excuse so. I'm sorry."

Shane shook his head, eyes lighting up. "Don't worry bout it! That was nothin...You had every right to." With that, he ran off towards Levi, leaving her to stand there wondering honestly what on earth someone like this kid was doing here.

/

They had been riding for a good hour through unmarked fields, barely coming across any company in that time frame. She wondered if Hange was more than a strategist. Maybe she was also their compass, well acquainted with these sparse areas of forgotten land.

It was reaching evening, the cinnamon red of the sky mixing with a light purple hue of approaching dusk, casting dull colors across their path when they stopped the horses in front of a run down looking shop in the middle of nowhere. The entire area looked dead, no houses in sight apart from other short stubbed buildings in the distance like the one they were at. The sign on the shop read Konfektionsgeschaft.

"It's time you wore clothing that suits this terrain." Petra heard Levi say as he got off his horse.

She had been riding with Hange ever since the forest incident, not entirely sure who had devised the arrangement but hadn't implored further. Taking ahold of the side saddle steps, an extension added by Shane back in town to make it easier for her to mount and dismount her horse, she carefully treaded off and landed cleanly on the ground.

 _Clothing for this terrain?_ Petra found herself looking down at her crumpled skirts and muddied dress shoes. _It hadn't occurred to me before...Had he noticed me staring at my shoes back in that lodge?_

A sharp clicking made her head snap up, tingling senses on alert. Just as she recognized what the sound was, she saw Levi retrieve what looked like a long range rifle and attach it to the belt buckle he wore underneath his long winter coat.

"That...Is that necessary..." she began, speaking too soon and too loud to turn back time. He looked over at her, registering her alarm.

"We are in the middle of a raging war between all these self serving countries and to top it off, in a high crime volume area. We won't be as lucky as we were in that forest." He turned and began walking towards the shop, boots creating imprints in the snow accumulated on the ground.

Of course. She should have expected that much. Even the men escorting her had had rifles and guns on them. Come to think of it, if they had...She stared at Levi's back. How was he able to overcome them with that knife then?

Her thoughts were disturbed when Hange brought down a hand over Petra's shoulder. "Let's go do some shopping ayy?!"

Smiling nervously, the ginger-head nodded, following the older woman into the store. Shane stayed behind to watch over the horses and supplies.

The bell chimed loudly once they slid open the heavy door, the fresh smell of musk and furs making its way to Petra's senses. _Woah, that's strong,_ she thought absently, eyes falling over all the aisles of mahogany benches and displays showing off woolen boots and other tough winter wear.

An elder woman with white hair stood at the counter in the back, hands folded together in front of her. It was as if she had been waiting for them.

"Mahre! Been a while! We'll need something road appropriate for this one right here!" Hange pointed at Petra although she did it with both hands, making it seem far more dramatic.

The woman named Mahre kept a stoic expression and then nodded at something behind them and when Petra turned her head, she saw that it had been towards Levi.

The male stood near the entrance with his back against a wall and his arms folded. When he turned his head to look from Mahre to Petra, she quickly looked away and back at the two women in front of her.

The elder woman behind the counter began sizing Petra up and adjusted her glasses. "Come with me, lad."

About a few minutes later, Petra found herself in cotton pants and a woolen vest, adorning some leather boots Mahre fitted her small feet into.

"YOU LOOK ADORABLE AND READY TO TAKE ON MOUNTAIN LIONS." Hange chuckled, clasping her hands together, eyes sparkling with an appreciation for Mahre's clothing handiwork. "Alright, now will you go wait with Levi. I'll be over in a bit!"

Petra felt increasingly embarrassed, as if she was 10 all over again, forcefully fitted into clothing by her grandma and told by random house maids how cute she looked.

Walking towards Levi, the girl found it hard to believe that she would rather stand there in his company than go through that process again. But here she was, releasing a held breath, standing there in comfortable silence.

She peered up at him through her bangs and with a start, looked back down to make sure they were on leveled ground. Was this her first time standing beside him?

"Hey. What the hell are you smiling to yourself for?"

"W-what?" She looked up to find him staring at her inquisitively. "Oh nothing you're short-I mean I'm short but you're taller but you're...close to my height. I just didn't realize it before...That's all." She turned her head away, scrunching her face up mournfully. _Why do I forget how to speak?!_

"Petra."

She jumped at her name and peered back up at him. "Yes?" _Did I say something wrong..._

"Do you resent me?"

"...What?" Had she heard right? When he continued to stare at her, no intention to clarify the question, she quickly followed up, "N-no. I suppose I don't."

"That's a relief." He looked up as Hange made her way towards them and the exit. He pushed off the wall and began walking away.

 _Do you resent me?_ What could he have meant by that? As in kidnapping her? What made him think that was something he should ask her? Why did he care...

"L-Levi!"

He stopped walking, looking back at her, eyebrows slightly lowered. Had she used his name, after all?

"I don't resent you and I might trust you a little now...but only where it counts. I definitely don't..and w-won't like you!"

A dull silence followed.

She felt a sweat drop but kept her expression firm, hoping he wouldn't see through her tough facade.

Levi was the first to break the silence, turning back around and beginning to walk away. "Whoever told you you had to like me, idiot."

Petra's face heated up.

He had a valid point.

Adjusting her woolen vest, she followed after him and Hange, hoping the cold breeze would erase all the embarrassment she had come to face inside this humble, small clothing shop.


	6. The Train to Rostock

Author's Note: Ahahahahcurrentlydyingfromexamsandessaysbutstillmanagingtoupdate

* * *

Chapter 6: The train to Rostock

Petra didn't know they would be taking a midnight train to Rostock.

Nor that they would be splitting into two groups, leaving her with Levi.

Out of all the possible worries that could plague her mind, she found this debacle overpowering. _I suppose you don't realize a blessing until it's gone_ , she thought absently in regards to their larger traveling group, loathing what was to come of this long train ride with the male.

Hange exchanged a few words of courage with Petra although they came out sounding far too relaxed whilst also proving morbid for Petra to really attain any encouragement whatsoever.

Thereafter, the older woman approached Levi, who had seemed busy eyeing the few passerbys in the distance entering the train at the portal.

"Somehow, this night has the feel of that one", Hange sighed as she stopped beside him, earning herself a side glance from the male.

"Listen Hange." He turned towards her, tone urgent. "Everything's riding on you. You know what to do now."

"Huhh, will this will be okay? Do you really want to be on the run for the rest of your life...Levi?" She challenged, hands on her hips.

The specks of bright lights from the distant train reflected off his irises in the dark. "I'm already a fugitive for life. No amount of loyalty to anyone can change that."

Hange smiled at that, adjusting her glasses. "You're SO COOL when you challenge people of power Wow!"

"Just shut up already and take care of yourself once you're there." Levi picked up his backpack, flinging it over his shoulder as he began to walk away towards Petra and Shane.

Hange snickered.

Meanwhile, Shane watched Petra bid farewell to her horse and found himself sad they would be parting ways for a time, with no guarantee he would see her anytime soon. It gave him sufficient comfort, however, knowing that anyone in Levi's company was practically guaranteed safety.

"Pino is his name, yea?"

Petra peered up at the blonde that had spoken, worry transparent in her eyes. "Mmhmm."

"I'll take good care of em!" He pulled up his sleeves, flexing his muscles. "You can trust me."

Petra blinked then started laughing. "Okay, Shane. Thank you. Ah, it's freezing! You'll catch a cold." She stabbed her finger in the direction of his exposed arm.

"Psh my immune system can handle a lil cold, no sweat." Shane grinned. "Plus, I haven't gotten sick for as long as I can remember!" He puffed his chest out like he was fairly proud of the feat.

"You say that now but…", Petra shook her head, a hand on her forehead. He really was like her brother, after all.

A shadow had crept up beside the ginger haired girl and she almost immediately recognized it as Levi's. She quickly wrapped up and waved her silent goodbye to Shane who in turn, smiled back at her and nodded.

Petra then fell in step beside the quiet, dark haired male as he began to walk towards the train. She stole a sideways glance at him, finding his silence peculiar.

"You're not going to say..." she sucked in a breath to boldly prepare herself and crafted her face into a bored, stoic expression. " _Hurry up, rich brat, we don't have all day_."

Levi's strides slowed, his black hair falling over his eyes. "Is that what my voice sounds like?"

 _Oh crap._ "Uh...Ah", Petra desperately looked around for an escape and pointed at an open hatch leading into the train, bright light pouring out. "Let's take that one."

"Hey.", Levi called out but she had already entered through the hatch, her ginger hair swaying from the breeze of the ground air vents beneath the entrance portal. He followed in after her. "Don't go running ahead, brat." He stopped abruptly, standing still. _I do sound like that..._

Petra quickly chose a solo seat beside a stanchion, placing her baggage beside her feet. There weren't a lot of folks on the train, if any at all, a few seeming like they practically lived there with the amount of shawls and blankets strewn about. She imagined German soldiers to be posted at every possible route and transportation ranges but found it oddly surprising there were no government personnel whatsoever around these perimeters. Especially with so many refugees and people seeking haven, wouldn't they be trying to get away by train? _Or no...they would be avoiding the trains..._

With a start, Petra stiffened as Levi sat down across from her, leaning back and crossing his legs. He considered her for a moment then started glancing around, drinking in his environment like she imagined a detective inspecting a murder scene.

 _This really is going to be a long ride._

/

Petra had no way to keep track of time but when it felt like close to two hours had passed, she cleared her throat, "So...Rostock. How far away until we get there?"

Levi glanced over at the girl. "We have about another half hour."

"Another? That means...only a half hour has gone by?" She slouched into her seat slightly, incredibly discouraged the next half hour would also feel like another two hours in her head.

Levi, she realized, however, had bid his time well. He had used a handkerchief to wipe down his boots, an absurd thing to be doing considering their circumstance but that hadn't been the first time Petra had noticed him being increasingly anal about small details. Often times, whenever they had stopped their horses, she would find him shining his weapons and at the lodge they had been at, dusting off the window ledges. He was well in sync with his hygiene; that much was brutally clear.

As if on cue to her thoughts, a clean napkin suddenly materialized in front of her. She looked up. And met at eye level with the dark haired male, his eyes slightly wide with a lit resolve.

"Use it."

It took the girl a passing second to realize he meant to wipe her own boots. She hesitated then retrieved the napkin from his hand, flabbergasted.

Petra began dusting at her boots. She gulped, feeling untrained in the art and felt eyes intently watching her but she dared not look up. Was she even cleaning her boots correctly? Was there a correct way?

 _Does he think he's doing me a favor by giving me this..._ Petra thought sourly, confused yet unamused at this unexpected task mandated upon her.

When she imagined she had in fact wiped off every flagellum of every speck of dust from her boots, she hesitantly lifted her head and found Levi sigh heavily with his eyes closed. He looked like someone after they swept their entire house clean to the brim. Or even someone exceedingly satisfied with life.

"Le...vi?"

"Hm."

"Why are we going to Rostock?"

"Looks like your patience finally bit the dust." The male opened his eyes. "Because there's no other option."

"What do you plan to do with me?"

"Didn't I tell you to trust us." He peered over towards other train riders. "I say that but truth is, even I don't know the extent to trust. Sometimes things don't always go the way people you put your faith in planned, either."

Petra bit her lip, feeling as if this man was speaking in riddles but also feeling like she understood every word. _You're handing me over to the western Russian commander, Vlak Dristien, aren't you?_ She didn't realize her unspoken question showed in the lines on her forehead and the fear in her eyes.

"Oy. Stop acting like you're already dead."

"Huh?" Petra met his eyes. They seemed to stare into her soul but of course many things about him seemed far more ghastly to her than they actually were, his gaze included. What his eyes carried this time, however, was a solid assurance.

"You're not dying on my watch...brat."

Petra scrunched her face. "Bold of you to say, being my captor."

Levi leaned forward in his seat, head slightly raised, considering her words.

Petra froze at his movement, not knowing what to expect of the consequences of her speaking out once again.

She was saved a response when the train began to buckle to a stop and the intercom turned on, signaling their arrival to Rostock.


	7. Alone

Author's Note: Please don't forget to leave a review! That's my best way of knowing what ya'll are enjoying or expect from my story and how you guys are receiving it. I'll try to update more regularly but it mighhht be a little difficult with exams around the corner hehe

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Chapter 7: Alone

Rostock was not at all what she was expecting.

Where she imagined a run down city reduced to shambles she instead met face with a bustling town full of ambient chatter carried in the wind and a kindred spirit to the city's center, drowning out any knowledge of a war alit in this very country. Everything almost seemed normal.

"Keep your hood up and stay close if you want to keep your livelihood intact. We're going to make a stop somewhere for a few hours before heading out again."

Petra absently nodded at Levi's statement.

He then gave her a side glance, a shadow settling over his visage. "Ah right. I'm your captor." He stated in a low voice. "I don't have to tell you these things, do I?" He turned and continued walking.

Petra scowled at his retreating back. _So much for staying on his good side. Look what you've done now, Petra Ral._

She cleared her throat, catching up to walk beside him. "Thank you."

"For?"

"For... informing me."

/

That night, in another loft once again, Petra wondered many things while listening to the rambunctious chatter and yelling from outside.

 _Is there some festival going on in this city that makes it come alive at night like this?_

 _Is this why we are resting indoors tonight?_

 _How many connections does this Levi have in every city to have a place to stay at each time?_

She peeked a glance at the dark haired male with his head resting back against the wooden chair, eyes closed.

 _Is he actually fast asleep with me here?_

 _What could Father and everyone be doing right now? What if Mother has...come back to herself…_

 _I'm so far away...so far away from home now..._

A peculiar feeling drifted over the girl and she tilted her head sideways, knitting her brows together in an effort to understand why her eyes had become to well up.

It wasn't like her at all. Not like her to have lost her fighting spirit but it was all so overwhelming. Not knowing where she was. Not knowing with who she was. Not knowing what was in store for her.

Just not knowing.

It escaped her senses that she had stood up and begun walking towards the wooden door exit and treaded out into the town, with no hood on or any warm outer garment.

Why were all these feelings hitting her all of a sudden?

She had been fine in the cave after a bit, fine at the first place they stayed at, even fine after the traumatizing event in the forest. She hadn't broken down into memory lane despite it all.

Was it because she was alone now? The chattering of Hanji and encouraging smiles of Shane were gone. They certainly had been her captors but now why, in the alleyway as she slid down with her back against the brick wall, did she feel so...alone?

It was a distant memory then that undid her and she found her body rack with uncontrollable sobs. "Im sorry...Father." She brought her legs up and hugged her knees close. "I should have been a better daughter, huh?"

A time went by and the chiming of midnight bells alerted the girl of the hour. She sniffed, a blanket of panic settling around her. It wasn't safe to be out here.

Petra inhaled a deep breath then let it out in pockets of cold air. She wiped her sleeve against her cheeks hurriedly, noticing with a surprise that the tears hadn't stopped. "Ah, I really need to get it together…" She fanned her face.

The sound of boots deliberately crunching on crisp leaves near the alley opening made her breath catch. With a start, she turned her head and felt her muscles go rigid at the sight of a silhouette in the dark walking towards her. Just before the moonlight hit the silhouette's face, she deciphered the identity, relief washing over.

But then came quick dread.

"Ah, Levi. I-I just needed fresh air. I wasn't trying to run away. I was just-" her words fell apart and drifted off as she watched the male turn to face her form and then slide down against the wall across from her.

He placed an arm on his knee and looked at her nonchalantly. Without a word said, he waited for her to finish what she had been saying.

"I…" her fingers rubbed at her eyes. _I must look like a charm right now. But what does it matter._ "I was just out here wondering how nice it'd be for everything to go back to how it was." Why was she telling him that?

"You'll be home again."

She looked up through her bangs, lashes soaked through. "What?"

"The war will be over and you'll be back home. Believe in that fact and that's all you'll need to get through."

How odd was it for him to be telling her that in the middle of this alleyway. She had half expected him to - at the very least - yell at her or harshly criticize her for not being able to follow simple directions but here she was, listening to this male that was no doubt an A class criminal...console her?

"And... what about you?" She asked.

"Hey. Tell me." He narrowed his eyes, curiosity blazing in their depths. "Why do you worry so much about things that don't affect you?"

"It does affect me. I don't want you coming back to capture me after this is all over. It would be nice if you procured a more suitable hobby." Petra coughed into her wrist, sufficiently aware that her light humor hadn't drifted away anywhere.

"Tch, if capturing rich brats was a hobby, damned if I were to have anything better to do in life." He eyed her wearily. "Let's get inside. The last thing I want to deal with is a sick rich brat."

Petra made a sound of surprise when a thick cloak fell on her lap. It was her coat. She peered up at him as he stood up. "You're not going to punish me for walking off?"

"Is that what you want? What kind of sick prisoner fantasies do you have?"

"W-What?!" Petra squealed, much more in her senses now.

He looked down at her soberly. "It all depends on you and how quickly you come back inside and make me a cup of that tea from last time."

Tea? She met his gaze and he coolly kept his, unwavering. He was serious about the tea. "Alright", she almost whispered, eyes sliding down to her boots as she carefully stood up. "And for the record," She declared sagely, following after him. "I don't have prisoner...fantasies. Or stockholm syndrome. Or anything that will make you think I have my guard down."

"Trust me when I say I'm far happier than you think I could be knowing that fact."

Petra's lips parted inquisitively at his words. And then something she hadn't anticipated on a night like this happened. A smile broke through and she laughed, hugging the coat to her chest.

For the first time in a long while, she felt warm.

And maybe not as alone as she thought she had been.


	8. Dejavu

Chapter 8: Dejavu

Who knew sitting at the very edge of a hardwood seating was actually quite painful but not too many options lay out well for the ginger head girl as she watched Levi take several sips out of the tea she had just prepared.

"It tastes different from last time." Levi marveled, peering into his drink.

"I found extra spices in these cupboards." Petra countered quickly. She swallowed, thinking of what had happened back in the kitchen.

/

 _The pot had begun to simmer, puffy clouds of hot steam rolling out, condensation forming on the glass lid. Cinnamon sticks, cloves, even a case of honey to add sweetness lay as a display in the cabinet and she retrieved them all from their places._

 _A small white package in the corner of the cabinet caught her eye._

 _Insect pellets to keep out roaches?_

 _A long forgotten memory creeped its way into her head and she suddenly heard her grandmother's voice._

 _"Petra if you ever find yourself in a tough situation, oh well did you know, you must, about the small token of poisoning? You'll be lucky to be in a situation if you find one of those."_

 _She picked up the dusty package in the corner, her eyes hesitantly drifting over to the tea kettle. A weighty intensity dawned over her._ What if I?

 _Her eyes slid towards where Levi sat outside the door, facing away._

/

"Oy, what's wrong? Why do you look like a dog with its tail between its legs." Levi's voice came as a harsh apprehension.

"It's...nothing." Petra breathed in shakily. _I wouldn't know what to do afterwards anyway...had I added the poison in the tea…_

Levi narrowed his eyes then downed the entire drink, clinking the cup down onto the saucer. Petra jumped. He briefly wondered what it was that always had her so on edge around him. "You made the tea sweeter than last time," he observed.

"I like it sweet." _He likes it bitter_ , she deducted. His face now brought her back to the assuring way he had calmed her back in the alley. Although it shouldn't have and she knew she had only considered anything but for survival, a pang of guilt washed over her despite having not gone through with any deed.

"You said you want everything to go back to how it was."

Petra blinked, his statement dragging her out of her reverie.

He continued, "What did you mean by 'how it was'."

"I…" She began fiddling with her sleeves. "I guess I meant...In the moment, I think I was just feeling delusional. I meant back to when my mother wasn't in a coma and the time before this war."

Levi absorbed what she said, not revealing how he had often heard her talk to Shane about her Mother. "How did she go into a coma?"

She took a deep breath, expecting the question. "She fell from the third floor of the building when thieves snuck into our estate, trying to steal her jewels-"

"How long ago was that?"

"Two years." She squared her soldiers, feeling it was her turn to be the one asking questions. "Why is the city so lively right now?"

He leaned back in his seat, arms folded behind his head. "Martinstag. In Rostock, they've innovated an extra opening celebration of three days where they commemorate on the streets."

"I know about Martinstag. I just didn't think...anyone would still find a way to get together and celebrate at a time of war."

"Rostock is different in that way. Their extra celebrations are what give them the strength to get through tough times," Levi responded without missing a heartbeat.

Her eyes widened at how his seemed to swim with memories. "You're from Rostock." She stated, not meaning it as a question.

He turned his head to face her.

She couldn't decide whether to break her surprised gaze or stay as she was. In a trance, she now saw the way his eyes were hooded with thought. He looked tired, worn out from not just this trip but whatever lifestyle he lived...Had he always had such dark hair? And was it always that long in the front where his side bangs came over his forehead like that. Surely she couldn't have dismissed that undercut? She had never seen anyone else pull that off. She would even go so far as to call it handsome. But since when- "Ah, so w-what", Petra caught herself with horror, blinking to look down at her clammy hands. "happens on those three days?"

"The first is today, preparation of the feast for the poor. The second day is decorating of landmarks. The third and final is the distribution of gifts and food." The dark haired male lifted his chin slightly, "Also known as die kussende nacht."

Die kussende nacht, she repeated in her head. She was about to ask why it was named that when he stood up. She looked up at him, imagining him to say something along the lines of _'In case you forgot, I'm a criminal not your history teacher'_ but instead he placed his teacup and saucer on the dining table, turning his head sideways to shoot her a bland look. "Let's get going."

/

They hadn't walked far at all when they entered in through what seemed like a back escape into a forgotten cavern. Upon entering, however, Petra quickly realized it was anything but forgotten. The inside was filled with townsfolk chattering, clinking beers, exchanging stories.

Petra stole a glance at Levi. What business had he in such a place?

Her question received its response not too long after when an older male raised a hand towards Levi from a table. They made their way over. Petra noticed with a startling keenness that a few folks stole glances at them—or rather, Levi. It was as if they recognized him or knew him. _He_ is _from here. They're bound to know him._

"Petra."

"Hm?" She looked up at Levi, having gotten distracted by a few men inadvertently pointing at him and whispering amongst themselves.

"Stay close."

She stared at his face from the side for a good few seconds, leveling the weight of his words. "I know that."

"Levi." the man at the table greeted with a head nod as they took a seat across from him.

"Petra, this is Wisely." Levi began, "He's a legal broker."

"Straight to the chase, as always, aren't you." The man chuckled, shaking his head before turning to look at her with a warm smile. "I'm more than just that, let me have you know. And it's a pleasure to meet you, young Petra dear."

"Yes and he's also a damn good liar," Levi added for amends.

Petra simply nodded, not entirely sure what was going on, why she was being introduced to someone like this, nor why they needed a legal broker. In fact, she did not even know what a legal broker was. But if Levi trusted him with her identity just now - she took a deep breath - maybe that meant something? "Nice to meet you." _Wait. What does Levi trusting someone mean anything for my good?_

The man raised a brow at her modest response then snuck a peak over at Levi. "It is a shame you are only doing this to rid yourself of your past sin. You haven't told her as of yet, have you?"

"Wisely." Levi started, "Let's talk business right now."

Puzzled, she turned her head to look at Levi. This allowed for a better view of her surroundings. Levi sat cross legged, his arm casually resting on the back of her seat. It smacked her in the face then: her proximity to the male. She completely forgot what the other man had just said. And all said afterwards.

The next few minutes whizzed by in a blur, the two men discussing things that made zero sense to her. Something about Rostock border patrol, German artillery, blueprint bindings...She stared at an empty glass on the table, trying to make sense of whether any of this related to her, also hoping they would mention something about the Russians to clear her doubts while also rid her of her current bafflement with her disposition.

A young boy careened by their table with a tray of drinks.

"Anythin' ya'll would like?" He smiled pleasantly at them.

Levi immediately responded, "I've already had my drink for the night."

Petra felt as if the room instantly felt like it had gotten a tad bit warmer than a second ago. And it wasn't just because of how loud it was in there or how many eyes from far in the room were constantly on them.

"I need to use the restroom." She stood up abruptly, avoiding Levi's gaze post-declaration and left the table, bee-lining straight for the side door leading out.

Once she stepped out, she cupped her face in her hands. _What is going on with me?_ She shook her head. _He had meant my tea, hadn't he? So what if he had. Where's the big deal there?_

Looking up now, Petra stood in a narrow alley adjacent to the cavern she had left, the area smelling a lot like something out of her worst nightmares. "I need to stop being melodramatic and go back ins-"

Her eyes widened as a hand came over her mouth from behind, containing her yelp of surprise.

A raspy voice beside her ear whispered, "Now, I need you to do as I say."

 _NO._

 _Like hell I'll let this happen again!_

She drove her elbow backwards straight into the person's rib. The mystery assaulter let out a groan and loosened his grip. She stole the opportunity and broke free. When she whirled around to get a better look, a hand came across her face and she fell back hard, mind blacking out in specks like an old movie frame.

"Ah!" She grit her teeth, holding her hand up to her forehead. Her fingers came back looking shiny and black in the dark. _Blood._

"Why you little bitc*", the silhouette of the stocky man grew nearer, coming in for another blow. She gasped, backing into the wall in a fetal position, hands searching for anything on the ground she could throw. Her vision blurred incredibly and right when she felt like the man had closed in, like dejavu, he was knocked down by another blurry silhouette.

Her vision began to clear and so did her sense of keen recognition. _That dark hair and brown boots..._

"Levi?"

But he didn't hear her.

Levi brought down a striking blow onto the man's head followed by a kick in the stomach. He then roughly grabbed the man by the collar. "I've got a few questions for you. First one being, what business do you have with her?"

"As if I'd tell you!"

A knee into the man's groin. The man doubled over himself, groaning painfully.

"That's for not answering my question," Levi hissed.

"You're insane." The man looked up at Levi, blood coated lips trembling. Petra felt numb and looked away.

"Maybe I am. Now tell me, who do you work for?"

The man choked out laughter. "They're coming." The man pointed his ringed fingers at her, the very action threatening in of itself. "They're on the move tonight and coming for you. You won't be able to escape them, you Ral scum."


	9. The Russians Invade

Author's Note: I'm sorry it took me a while to release this chapter. Exams and studying and group projects have had me in a bind and I feel like there was a lot of pressure from myself to make this particular chapter as amazing as possible as it's such an important precipice in the story. I've been reading the comments and appreciating them so much. You all are amazing for taking the time out to read my story. Thank you so much aaah

* * *

Chapter 9: The Russians Invade

Back in the loft, Petra winced at the sound of machine guns going off in the distance.

It seemed that an unknown faction had raided East Rostock, causing German troops stationed in a nearby city to check out the mayhem. And get wiped out in the process.

Or so Petra had managed to hear from Wisely.

 _They have to be Russian troops_ , she thought, certain.

Levi lay on the sofa, arm draped over his eyes.

 _I_ s _he asleep?_ She could make out the steady rise and fall of his chest. How he could sleep through the mind numbing noise outside was beyond her. Petra's fingers traveled up to her forehead where a soft gauze lay wrapped over her wound from the alley.

/

 _She had insisted on the formalities of treating a wound herself but after some mortifying minutes of struggling, she felt the alcohol infused cloth come around her head and a voice state "Just stay still." Levi securely tied it in place. She grit her teeth against the chiseling pain that coursed through, a steady hum developing in her head._

 _"By God, Levi. Never a boring day for ya." The old man named Wisely stood near the closed doorway, holding a cigar in one hand up to his mouth as he eyed the unconscious man from the alley now tied up in the corner of the hall. "What's your next move?"_

 _"Run from here. Is there any other option?" The dark haired bandit responded._

 _The man eyed Petra who sat hunched with her head tied up in a bundle of cloth, eyes sullen from clear tiredom and lack of sleep. "The temperatures are going under tonight. And who was this fella talking about? Who is after her?"_

Who isn't. _The ginger-head looked over at Levi who sat on his haunches, one elbow on his leg as he reveled in thought._

 _"The Pea Blinders. They're the only ones that would stupidly send a scout like that and know the exact whereabouts of their target this quickly."_

 _"Stupid yet efficient, eh? Nothing you can't handle."_

 _"Wisely." Levi eyed the unconscious man on the ground. "Get as much information as you can from him. And send Hange a charter once you've learned anything."_

/

Petra felt a sour taste in her mouth. _So now some mob named Pea Blinders is after me not to mention the Russians are here at the border? Which is worse…?_

A chilly breeze wafted into the hall and Petra shivered in her coat, scrunching her eyebrows in surprise at how Levi was basically laying on the sofa with only a thin shirt on.

 _He ought to be freezing..._

She stood up, taking ahold of his long coat from the back of a chair on the way.

 _He saved me for a second time, after all._ She paused over his form. And leaned in at the sight of something shiny at the end of the silver necklace he wore.

 _A tiny ruby…?_ She narrowed her eyes, brown orbs fixated, breath held in extreme attention. She had seen that somewhere. This thing on his necklace.

In a state of focus, Petra dismissed the fact that her knees had hit the edge of the sofa, causing her socked feet to slip.

Her body fell forward.

She yelped, hands held out to brace herself. Which they did. They landed on something hard and when she blinked in the instant Levi moved his arm from his eyes, it was all too late realizing that that hard rock thing had been his chest.

"I…"Her cheeks turned red. "I was about to put..." Her hair swayed as she desperately looked around for the coat and found it on the ground. "Ah, that. I was trying to put that over you and I think I slipped so then that fell away and I really, this looks so very wrong! I hadn't meant it to be this way." She stopped to ponder over how her face lay a few inches over his.

"You—"

His voice was cut off as an ear splitting loud banging was heard at the front door.

"THE SOVIETS ARE HERE!"

"What?" Petra choked out, hearing the same knocking travel down at the fronts of other houses. Through the frosted window, she could make out crowds of people running on the streets.

Levi sat up abruptly, causing her to fall to sit on his lap and where she sat red faced, Levi stated urgently, ""I didn't think he would have come this far so fast…Get everything. We have to get going."

/

The crowds at the train portals were insane.

Levi held onto Petra's arm tightly, guiding her after him.

He was leading them on so quickly through fields of people, she barely caught how, as he passed by a group of well dressed men, his left hand flitted past their pockets, all too natural. His hand came back holding crumpled pieces of paper and dripping coins.

 _A professional thief even in this disaster_ , she played in her head, eyes falling to his strong hold on her. It was the only thing that kept them from separating in this mayhem.

"There is NO more room on board! I repeat, NO more room!" A train attendant stood outside, fighting against crowds of people as doors began closing in on attendees heels from the fill up inside.

A child stood crying out to his father who held his hands to his face as his son was swept away into the train.

"Papa!" The child screamed.

Petra's mind erupted and began melting away into a trance. She suddenly had something to say.

"Levi," she began, watching the male's back. "Levi, I need to tell you something!" She added a bit louder.

Levi continued trudging forward in search of an open portal, clearly having not heard her.

"Thank you. For saving my life so many times." She continued, "I never thanked you."

Levi stopped them at a red railed train that seemed far less crowded.

"I doubt you a lot and I think I shouldn't have. I...I should have trusted you more. I finally wanted to say that." Petra gasped as Levi turned around and held her by the shoulders, his eyes ablaze with urgency.

She had never seen him so disheveled.

"Petra!"

"Yes?!"

His hold on her shoulders became more firm. "I need you to trust me. I need you to trust that you will reach home. You will see your mother."

 _What?_

"Promise me you'll put your faith in me."He finished, irises a dark wild, his hair peeking from under his disguising wool cap.

She felt like time around her had slowed. All that was left were this man's words and her, his presence urging her to believe in him.

And she would.

"I promise!" She yelled, hoping this, he would hear.

Her words didn't waste on him.

The male loosened his hold then relaxed his stance. He closed his eyes, taking in a breath like he was relieved to hear her say those words. "For now, keep your hood up. We can't have—"

"Well, well, well." A domineering, loud voice cut in from behind Petra. "Is it not the infamous Levi Ackerman himself here to deliver the goods?"

Levi froze.

Petra's muscles stilled and her mind screamed at the way Levi's eyes widened.

Something was very wrong.

And in the way from the first time she had stepped out of her carriage to discover blood in the snow, she felt it now too. That feeling that something was just/not/right.

 _The goods?_

Levi quickly collected himself, malice forming a stone-cold expression on his countenance as he looked up towards where the voice came from.

"Artem."


	10. Betrayal

Author's Note: I hate cliff hangers too. I gotchu guys.

* * *

Chapter 10: Betrayal

It felt like the air had been punched from her lungs when Petra braced a glance in the direction of the voice.

In front of them stood a tall man dressed in maroon garb at the entrance portal into the train. He was recognizably a crafty person, this one, seeing as how he had managed to incorporate a scarf of fur into his collar, proudly showing it off. Just as their eyes connected, he smirked, hostility dripping in every ounce of his expression.

She took a cautious step back.

"Vlak sent his lap dog, after all?" Levi practically spat.

"No offense to you or your work, Ackerman, but I think it a necessary measure to see that", the man named Artem swam his finger around in the direction of Petra, like she was some display piece at an auction, "what he has claimed is seen through to be in his hands."

There was that name again. Ackerman.

Despite the mention of the one Russian commander - Vlak, and the fear she had harbored until now of ever ending up in his hands, a word stood out to Petra and the outstanding importance of it's matter speared her on to proclaim in Levi's defense, angrily, "He's not an Ackerman! Those people are brutal murderers and crooks. Stop calling him that."

The man named Artem raised a harsh brow at her fierce outburst, dramatically as if she had slapped him in the face. Within a second, his visage changed and his lips curved up into a smirk. A chuckle thundered out from him. "He!" He pointed at Levi. "ISN'T an Ackerman?!" The man cackled, his hand holding onto the railing for support. "Has he not even told you who he is?! What a man."

Petra stayed still, watching this male laugh absurdly to her face.

Artem took pleasure in her confused expression, running one finger through a long blonde lock that had escaped from his bun. "Shall I tell her!? How you're the worst hands she could be in right now? The most well known underworld thug in this business. The Ackerman bas****, you are."

She whipped her head around to look at Levi. His eyes shadowed an unhidden mirth, looking like they could cut through the man.

She hadn't noticed until now that she was shivering.

"Levi...Ackerman?" That surely didn't sound right.

Levi's gaze shifted to her; The way her shoulders lay stiff from tension, eyes wide, cheeks tinted pink from the biting cold.

Artem's voice came in threatening waves, "The entire aristocratic WORLD knows the Ackermans are the ones who sent the Ral duchess to the hospital and into a coma!"

Her gaze didn't shift away from Levi's, eyes locked on his. Where his lay staring at her, calculating, waiting, hers lay in fear, also in wait for him to say something. Denial? Confirmation? Why wasn't he saying anything?

It was driving her mad.

"Well, no matter. Vlak will be waiting, darling. This _man_ has done his part to deliver you safely. Let us get going."

 _His part._

"Petra." Levi began at that.

She gasped at her name being uttered from his mouth now. This man. Who was he really? Her eyes searched his face, not finding the staunch denial she was yearning to find.

"I had no part in what happened to your mother. Believe me when I say that," He stated firmly, taking a step towards her.

 _'How did she go into a coma?'_

 _'How long ago was that?'_

He had known it all along. Who he was. Who she was. How they were connected. "You're...an Ackerman." Is all she heard herself say in reply. The icy wind blew her hair around her face. She felt numb.

"You will find your compensation delivered within a week." Artem spat out in a snicker towards Levi before cooing, "Alright, come along now, sweets."

Petra barely registered a hand at her arm pull her up into the train. She didn't resist one bit.

 _Numb._

The train doors closed and she felt herself get seated beside the window.

 _So numb._

Against her better judgement, in a last futile attempt, she peered out the window towards the renegade. He wasn't looking in her direction, facing away. _It...must be true then. Even after all that he promised just now. I'm so naive._

She sat there, eyes empty, for the first time her mind not trying to figure out a plan of action or avenues of opportunities like it usually was. For once, she lay still like a statue even when Artem sat beside her, shooting her a knowing smirk...Even when the first dip of sun peaked out from behind the horizon, signaling dawn.

She lay still.

And her eyes began to close.

/

This wasn't her bed.

That was the first thought that coursed through as her eyes opened up to an extravagant canopy overhead. She began to panic.

This wasn't her room.

She was captured by a Russian envoy.

Her mother was still in a coma. And it was all because of the Ackermans.

Levi was an Ackerman. He had lied to her this entire time.

Petra felt bile rise up.

"I need to take it a moment/at/a/time." She preached to herself, holding her head. Her fingers caught some strands of her hair and she stared at them in horrific surprise. Someone had washed her hair.

She kicked the bed sheets away. She was in a cotton night gown. Her eyes searched the room, trying to find clues as to who was responsible for her current state but all she found was a shiny dress hung beside a massive vanity.

The bedroom doors flew open in the time Petra got up to inspect her surroundings better.

A tall woman in a long lavender coat walked in.

"Oh, you're awake! Master Dristien just got back from his Rostock mission. You're expression tells me you have no idea how long you've been out. Only 12 hour hours, love." The lady smiled cutely at her, her dimples deeper than the mystery of her identity. "Oh, I'm Valeria. A bath lady here at the manor."

 _The manor?_ "Where...are we? Are you the one who washed my hair and changed me into these clothes?" What sorcery was it that someone could get their hair washed without waking up?

"We are at the border of East Rostock, love. And yes, that was me. Artem asked me to check on you to make sure you're ready for the dinner with Master Dristien tonight. My luck I didn't have to shake you awake." A giggle followed.

The joke escaped Petra.

"Dinner. With." _Vlak_ , she mouthed his name, dumbfounded. Her luck. First get abducted by a man she thought was a bounty seeking criminal then begin to think he is a pretty alright human and then find out he's actually a murderer and liar who delivered her to the one man who was after sabotaging her family to use her as bait and oh, what great heavens had in store for her at the end of it all: a grand dinner with said sabotaging mastermind himself.

Petra wanted to gag.

"The dinner isn't an option," Valeria stated almost coldly in response to her unspoken question, her attitude completely changing in a split second. She strutted over to where the dress hung next to the vanity. "Wear this and be downstairs in an hour. Artem will meet you there. Oh and this entire place is surrounded so if you try anything funny-"

"I'll meet him in an hour."

Valeria cocked her head in the girl's direction, taken aback by the abruptness displayed by the younger girl. "Children of nobles..." She muttered before walking out.

What a confusing and unpleasant person, Petra thought, a dull headache beginning to form in her head.

What Petra didn't know was that the next hour she would spend trying to understand who in the heavens even wore dresses like the one that hung. The fit was correct but the odd design tacts such as the bell sleeves and lace edges were all over the place. A bewildering piece of disastrous art.

She took a shaky breath, looking in the mirror. _The baby blue shimmer of the dress definitely screams 'prisoner of a Russian atache commander'._ She made a face.

 _Petra. Take it by the moment. On the bright side, I haven't been served as live roast on a platter to the Russian embassy...yet._

/

Artem had arrived promptly, looking rather impatient as Petra descended the stairs.

"Good on you to leave your hair down, sweets. You look rather lovely like that." One side of his mouth lifted in appreciation and she very much felt the urge to kick him. It had been a good while since she came across such an uncouth soul. Seeing as how she was used to being around more dignified characters over the past week like Shane, Hange, especially Levi-

 _No. Not him._

Artem held out his hand for her and she eyed it.

"Oh, well whatever you're comfortable with." Artem let out a breath of laughter in disbelief, turning around sharply. "Just know Vlak is not the type you should deny anything to."

"Thank you for your concern but I'll be fine." Petra kept her eyes on the ground as she followed after him, randomly noting how she felt increasingly bold and wasn't always tripping over her words like she used to with Levi.

 _Stop thinking about him!_

Artem cleared his throat and Petra looked up, returning back to her reality, the present. They had stopped in front of a pair of double doors.

"He's inside. Do me a favor...

and try to keep your mind out of your mouth, sweets."


	11. The Ball

Chapter 11: The Ball

The light blinded Petra's eyes for some lasting moments when Artem pushed the doors open - after a loud knock signaling their arrival - revealing a beautiful dining hall.

Two men stood at the foot of a long table, whispering amongst themselves, peering out of their private conversation at the intrusion.

It was immediately obvious who Vlak Dristien was.

The man that had been conversing with him nodded and left the room from the same place Petra had entered, not failing to steal a curious glance in her direction before he did so.

The Russian commander was far younger than she was expecting, perhaps in his late thirties. His light brown hair, almost spiked, gave him a youthful look. He could easily make a dupe of anyone who doubted his true age.

Vlak smiled in their direction, raising both his brows at Artem who took the tiny gesture as an automatic command, saying "Ah, of course, sir" and then continued to close the doors behind them.

"So we finally meet, Ms Ral. You may already know but I am Vlak Dristian of the Western Russian faction stationed here near Germany." The male spoke softly, as if his words were revelations to hidden secrets in of themselves. "It may not be a pleasure for you but it certainly is a pleasure for me to meet you."

Petra silently regarded him.

Vlak narrowed his eyes suddenly as he took a step towards them, cocking his head, mildly disturbed. "That. Don't tell me one of my men did that to you?" His hawk-like eyes locked on a part of her face and startled, Petra's hand went to the wound at her forehead from the night before.

"No, it was an accident from a day ago," Petra answered, recalling the events of that night all over again.

Vlak shook his head, raising a glass of what she imagined was champagne to his mouth, "My apologies you had to be in the presence of such a dangerous savage until now. You see, he isn't one of my men but he was far more experienced in this realm so I did not have much choice."

 _Well, your men certainly are a charm_ , Petra stole a glance in Artem's direction. Artem simply raised a questioning brow at her stiff expression.

"I hope he didn't trouble you at all?"

"He didn't." She stated clearly, hoping he would drop the subject of Levi already. _And drop trying to act as if he is some savior._ Her appetite had seemed to subside despite having been piqued at the sight of such delectable looking entrees on the table upon entering.

Vlak must have read her mind then since he obligingly waved his hand at a seat across from him at the table. "I'm glad to hear. Please. Take a seat. You must not have eaten proper food for a few days now, I imagine."

Petra thanked her luck he hadn't made her sit beside him. She inclined into her seat just as he took his, reminding herself that this man was her enemy, regardless of how he was treating her: like a valued guest.

After the sounds of silverware on plates perdured for a while, Petra's eyes hesitantly traveled over to where the commander sat. _He's still in his uniform, it seems._ She swallowed and began carefully, "I heard...that you recently came back from a Rostock mission."

"Ah, yes," The man took a bite from his steak, placing his fork down politely. "You must know how sticky the situation is in Germany. Your expression tells me you worry for the civilians there caught in the cross fires. As do I. Me and my men have but sole interest in securing our advantage against the border militias, nothing more."

"Then why are the people of Rostock so on edge that you are here?"

"Any people would have reason to worry when they are in a warring country and someone else invades their land, to make matters complicated." Vlak peered at his high glass of champagne, running a finger around the rim as he thought through his words. "We are, needless to say, leaving the people in that town untouched."

"Are you not of the Allied Powers? You are not exactly free of criticism seeing as how your commanding army is capturing royals for ransom, taking advantage of this mayhem in Germany."

She faintly heard an audible cough from somewhere in the room and she could only imagine it had been Artem.

Vlak, however, took her straightforwardness - albeit, direct accusation - in stride. "I work apart from the standard Soviet military. And me and my men are not trying to take advantage of what is happening in this war. Not at all. We simply have objectives that see through to our goal."

Petra placed her fork down, feeling like perhaps the meat was too much for her right now. She took a sip of her water.

"Champagne?"

"I'm fine."

"Besides, I think it beautiful to take on cultures of this town we have come to." He continued, smiling at her. "In fact tomorrow night, I'm holding a small occasion in celebration of the final day before Martinstag with the folk in my faction and Russian nobles in the area."

Petra nearly choked. "You know about that?"

"Of course. I expect to see you there, as well. If it is not too much to ask." The general wiped his mouth with a cotton napkin, glancing to a corner of the dining hall where she imagined Artem stood. "You'll see through to make sure our guest appears, yes?"

"Of course, sir." Artem's voice echoed in the air and Petra found herself cringing.

 _Vlak is not the type you should deny anything to._

"Is there something you would like to say, Ms Ral?" Vlak tipped his glass questioningly, elbow propped on the table.

Petra kept her eyes on her plate, consciously trying to relax her features she hadn't realized had been strained.

"Nothing at all. You can expect me there." She felt like a broken record, having expressed the same thing to the bath lady earlier about attending tonight's dinner. She felt like her freedom of choice had been stunted short without her knowing.

Vlak smiled, knowingly. "Very well, Ms Ral. I look forward to seeing you, then."

/

Petra refused to leave her bedroom that night and the morning of the next day. Even when Valeria, the bath lady, had insisted she check out the manor library - something Petra would have normally found an astounding suggestion - she had refused, instead busying herself with wiping the window ledges of her room - although there truly was nothing to be wiped - and dusting the furniture around her bed - although the room was perhaps more dust free than given credit.

"So, the ballroom the Pre-Martinstag celebration is being held in is on the first floor of this manor?" Petra asked that night, as an older lady worked on painting her cheekbone with ribbony glitter designs - a traditional practice of this night.

"Yes, ma'am, it is." The woman's accent was heavily German, allowing Petra to wonder about Vlak's true objective here at the border.

"Ah..." Petra gaped in awe at herself in the mirror, finding it almost humorous how amazed she was at her own face. Her lashes had been edged with a shimmery luster, a blood red eyeliner outlining her eyes beautifully. The glittery waves on her cheekbone made her do a double take. _Is that me?_ It had been a good while since she had adorned herself at all, much less like this.

"You're breath taking, ma'am." The woman beside her hummed, cleaning up her space, most probably on her way to the next person she was responsible for dressing up.

"Thank you," Petra faced the woman, smiling genuinely.

It felt very wrong to her. Celebrating with whatever self-serving diplomats lay in wait, like she was okay with the side injustices they were possibly carrying out against others. But in the moment, she was happy. Maybe it was the spirit of the town. Or the spirit of these traditions that lit up a city trying to make ends meet in the midst of turmoil.

"I remember my daughter when I see you." The elder woman spoke then, lowering her voice, "I hope you do not meet with any trouble. I hope you are saved seeing the ugly in this war and in your position."

The woman then walked out the room with her basket of materials, leaving Petra staring at the door, words caught in her throat.

/

The ballroom was almost as breath taking as the audience inside it. Sophisticated looking men and women all filled the space, also having painted their faces uniquely - some over the mouth, others adorning a design over their jawline. The men, she noticed in a startle, all wore glittering eye masks. She wondered why only the men wore them but didn't have much time to ponder as she instantly recognized the Russian commander standing at the far end of the room with no eye mask on, surprisingly.

He was looking at her.

 _So he's recognized me in this crowd, after all._ The girl walked past the guards at the entrance, heading straight for the drinks at the side.

Vlak neither approached her nor made a commotion at her appearance, simply settling with shooting her a smile from where he stood.

Petra pretended to ignore it.

Artem, however, seemed to not have much of a threshold for her comfort level.

"Well, well doesn't that gold gown suit you VERY nicely? Petra dear, I went to wait for you outside your quarters but was told you had arrived here already. Trying to avoid me, sweets?"

Petra ignored the blonde haired male, pretending like the drink on the table in front of her was the most exotic thing she had ever come across in her life.

"I know the melon shots and rabbit meat is distracting, sweets, but would you spare a minute to have a dance with me?" He held his hand out towards her and she craned her neck slightly to have to look up at his face in disbelief.

He shot her a smug expression.

He knew she couldn't act out of character with so many people around them.

"Oh, come on now! It will be fun, dear. They're doing group swings. You'll only have me for a few seconds before we switch partners, unfortunately."

"Alright, fine." She stated sternly, not wanting to make a scene, training her patience at the male's responding grin. He took ahold of her hand and dragged them into the loop of people at the center of the ballroom.

She felt a weird sensation come over her then with the way she was being dragged ahead. She looked up and expected to see short dark hair swaying in the breeze but instead saw a tall male with blonde locks tied back.

Petra took a breath, trying to calm her unsteady heart beat.

She had barely followed Artem's foot steps on beat to the slow music before she switched out to dance with someone else. Petra thanked her luck she had had training in standard waltz. She briefly wondered whether this was a common dance amongst Vlak's faction seeing as how the people there were all in sync, none too out of step or not knowing what they were doing.

After about three switches, she was once again ready to switch partners when her current partner showed no sign of following in step with the music.

 _Well, I suppose there is always bound to be someone out of the loop._

When she imagined she would then get handed over at the next pass, the hand at her waist kept her in place and Petra found that she was still with the same man as they went in for another round.

Incredulously then, she trained her gaze at him, looking past the silver eye mask he wore and focusing on his eyes.

"I'm sorry. You were supposed to...have…" This man's dark orbs glinted as the light shone, the very look in them as if they could answer every query that raced through her mind in that second.

And then he spoke.

"Say. Looks like you're getting along just damn fine with these filthy rich rats."


	12. Escapé

Author's Note: I appreciate the reviews/theories ya'll are sending in. For the reader wondering whether the blonde with his hair tied back in the last chapter was Erd, nope it was the back of Artem's head :) Haha

* * *

Chapter 12: Escapé

"Le...vi?" Petra's lips felt foreign to this name she hadn't thought she would say aloud ever again. Was he really in front of her? This man with a jet black tuxedo on and white undershirt…It definitely was his voice and exact height. And general build. And that sharp undercut.

 _Oh god, it is him._

"Don't react. I'd say I'm on Vlak's hit list more than his invite list for these damn parties."

She opened her mouth to exclaim then closed it and then shook her head, shutting her eyes, trying very hard to accommodate his unruly request. She would rather opt to scream into a hollow vase. "W-What are you doing here then?!"

He didn't answer, watching her carefully as if he was contemplating his words and her possible reaction to them.

She tried again to side step the male but he kept his hold on her in their waltz.

Defeated, she continued, deciding she could just as well fight him off with words. "You are a liar. And a thief. You've been lying to me this entire time."

"I am a thief. But I never lied to you about who I was."

"You-" She tried to search her mind for a response, not wanting to face the fact that it was true: he had never openly come out and told her who he was or wasn't. He hadn't said much to her, in fact, for the time she had known him. "Well, I stand with my stat-AH!" The girl tightened her hold on his forearm as he brought her down into a dip in sync with everyone else and their partners.

"Petra." His face came parallel to her ear, voice urgent. "We don't have time. Hange is waiting for the signal so they can bring down the roof on this place-"

"Pardon?!"

"I just need you to tell me one thing." The male brought her back up from the dip, looking her in the eyes. "Are you okay staying with these aristocratic fools. Or do you want to get out?"

"Get...out?" She only had his eyes to measure whether this was a joke and they told her it wasn't. "How can you think I will take your word now after everything? After my mom...and capturing me..."

"Me being here right now can be your proof."

They had stopped dancing, standing now in the midst like a still in the storm. Her mouth formed a fine line. "I...Of course I want out. But then Vlak will have no leverage." Her gaze drifted around the room, expecting the Russian commander to have somehow heard her say his name. "Or worse, he will find my family and-"

"Petra." Levi's voice made her flinch. She couldn't believe that he was seriously handing her the responsibility of choosing on a platter after she had been stripped of her choice in this very mansion.

The bandit was right. Him being here meant she had more to know; Meant she had the option of grasping freedom once again.

"Focus on the moment. Make your decision. Do you want out?"

She bit her lip hard, searching his eyes for any clue as to what she should decide but he had truly left it up to her.

"All you have to do is give me the word." He continued.

"Hey! You were supposed to switch!" She heard Artem's voice bark from afar and knew her time was now chopped in half. She had mere seconds to make a decision.

Another man beside them in a blue tuxedo placed his hand on Levi's shoulder, saying gruffly,"You pric*, did you not hear-"

Levi grabbed the man's arm in a flash, pulling him forward so that he toppled over himself, earning a plethora of swears from his female partner.

 _Who am I kidding._

 _I already know what I want._

"Levi!"

He turned his head back to look at her.

"Yes. I want out of here."

It looked to Petra like the bandit inhaled in a breath at her response, his chest moving barely. In the second Artem began stalking towards them, Levi retrieved some device from his back pocket and aimed it at the ceiling, releasing the trigger.

BOOM!

The entire place fogged up with dense smoke.

The last thing Petra saw was Levi holding up the device, his eyes on something or someone behind her. Wispy clouds flooded the space between them in an instant.

In the crazy melee that followed, the ginger-head felt someone grab her arm and pull her away to the side. She registered the 'click' of an opening door. Once clearing through it and stepping out into the fresh breeze of nightfall, she coughed into the back of her hand, all the smoke barreling out along with her. The person that held onto her arm turned around to face her.

"Shane?!"

The boy shot her a smile and a two-finger salute. "Hey."

"What are you doing here?!" She looked back, seeing that they had taken a ballroom emergency exit.

"I was there the entire time! Now cmon, let's run!" The boy cackled, his short blonde hair like fluorescence in the dark. "So how ya been?"

"You're in on Levi's plan?!" She shouted, ignoring his question about her well being which in the moment was in confused shatters. Even more, her heels were not exactly the best suitable choice for an escape.

"This has been the plan all along!" The boy laughed as they ran, letting go of her arm.

 _This was the plan all along?!_

"But those people inside! What is going to happen to them?" She exclaimed as they neared a hedge. From what Valeria had said, there should have been guards out here in the front gardens of the manor. But it lay barren.

"Nothing! It's just for you to make an escape, that's all."

"And Levi?! We left him in there!" She yelled, out of breath. _What on earth am I doing right now!?_

"He's the last person you gotta worry bout, trust me. He can escape a running missile, yaknow."

Somehow, she stupidly believed that.

The boy pointed to a readied carriage on the street beside other parked carriages. "Cmon, get in. Other attendees are going to start flooding out here, too, once they find out what's goin on."

/

Petra did not know where the carriage took them or how they had gotten away unscathed. Shane continued on about how the gate keepers had been drugged since Levi planned on limiting any and all possible casualties tonight.

In what felt like a few minutes, the horses stopped and Petra and Shane got off in front of a boarded up house amongst other houses.

Upon entry, she saw that it was in fact a pub. The doors opened with a loud chime. It smelled like someone had been baking -in a bar?! - for far too long, the aroma of cookies and bread lingering delectably in the air.

Petra gasped. The scene before her was quite frankly but marvelously wild.

There were hundreds of people in this pub.

Glitter and shimmer filled her scope of vision. Everyone wore sparking apparel, even in their hair and as adornments on their face accompanying the painted on glitter. This crowd of Martinstag celebrators put the sophisticated folk from the ballroom to shame. What she imagined were two strangers on separate sides of the room embraced happily, giving each other pecks on either cheek.

Caught up in a state of shock, she yelped when a random man came skipping by and took a gentle hold of her chin, planting a quick peck on HER cheek.

"E-excuse me?!"

The man exchanged pecks with Shane and barreled on ahead towards others.

A beautiful woman with glitter lining her lips came up to Petra, hugging her, registering the ginger-head's confusion and acute surprise. "You new around here?" _Peck._ "Midnight, darlin! It's hit midnight. It is Die Kussende Nacht!"

 _The third and final [day before Martinstag] is the distribution of gifts and food._ Levi's voice echoed in her head. _Also known as die kussende nacht._

Literally.

'The night of Kissing.'


	13. A Misunderstanding

Author's Note: I'm not dead, I promise.

* * *

Chapter 13: A Misunderstanding

The smoke had begun to subside and so did the shuffling craze. As the crowds of guests left the establishment in a panic, only officials remained, their yells traveling through the smoke-sifted corridors.

"He's in here somewhere."

"Close all the exits."

"What if he escaped disguised in the crowd?"

In a particular hallway upstairs, however, a certain blonde rounded the corner to come to face what his suspicions had only unfolded. _Of course that criminal would check up on the rooms for whatever he could salvage rather than playing it safe with an early escape._ "I'd recognize that blasted haircut anywhere. We meet again, Ackerman." Artem sneered, pointing his armed weapon in the dark at Levi who stood hovering over a dressing table drawer.

"Looks like the dog is back to barking," came the bandit's cautious reply, his hand wrapped in a fist around a tiny object. His midnight eyes flicked from Artem's pressure on the trigger of his weapon to the diplomat's face.

A flash of annoyance crossed Artem's visage and he bared his teeth now, not caring that he was letting the bandit get to his head. No, now he needed to teach him a lesson for talking to him _that_ way. "You REALLY think you'll get away with invading Master Dristien's own private estates, you dirty street trash?! Have you already forgotten what Master Dristien has done for you?" Artem licked his lips, "Once he finds out this is your doing, he's going to make sure you pay. And take back his property, that girl." He spat, finger heavy on the trigger of his weapon.

"What an atrocious thing I've done," Levi replied forlornly, his expression playing the part. He clicked his tongue regrettably for dramatic effect as if he truly was swimming in self-reflection at his own actions but the careless mirth in his eyes gave away his true sentiments.

/

An hour later, in a place not too far from the Russian establishment...

"So this bar belongs to that woman named Mahre? You mean the one from that clothing shop we went to?" Petra indulged in a sip of the pineapple shot, bright eyes falling over every artwork and decorative mantel piece she could find adorning the bar. The woman who owned this place certainly did have deep pockets. And unique tastes.

"Yep!" Shane casually watched Petra absorb the room around her as he stole a drink of his sweet lemonade.

"HERE you are!" A familiar voice came from behind them. Petra turned just in the knick of time to see Hange come swooping in for a tackling hug. _How sudden yet appropriate for the occasion._

Petra couldn't help but let out a laugh of excitement as they both exchanged mirroring pecks on either cheeks. When they parted, Shane stood beside Hange looking as red as a tomato, realizing that what he had been avoiding for an hour was inevitably facing him in the shape of Hange.

The older woman smacked him in the back, hurling him towards Petra.

"Don't tell me you youngins didn't embrace yet?! It's just a celebratory holiday, Shane! HAHA No one is going to remember you kissed them. Embrace the tradition. So to speak."

Shane scratched his head, sheepishly smiling at Petra who just laughed and clasped her hands behind her before getting on her tiptoes and giving him a peck on either cheek.

"Any news of Levi?" She immediately asked Hange, incredibly dizzy from the overwhelming vibe of the room.

Hange, on the other hand, proved distracted at the sight of sugar cookies displayed at the bar and had long gone trampling over, missing the ginger-head's question.

"If Hange's back that means he is." Shane replied instead, looking away red-faced. "But he's prolly tryna stay outta havin to go an inch of anyone. Something bout germs, I bet."

"I see…"She answered disappointedly. Despite herself, an odd churning in her stomach proved she had actually begun to get nervous. What would she say to him if she saw him? She had so many questions she knew only he could answer. _And, anyway, I just want to say thank you, that's what it is._

And like an answer to her silent wish, just as Petra looked back up from her thoughts, a figure deliberately stalking towards them caught her eye. Petra lifted her shaky finger to point at the crowd. "Th-then, who's that walking straight towards us?"

Shane raised a brow and turned to see where she pointed.

In a deceptively intimidating way, Levi almost trudged towards them, avoiding people around him as he removed his face mask, revealing an awe-striking glitter rune over half his face. The male looked rather put together for someone who had just come back from engaging with war weapons and a more than likely raging Russian militia.

His lazy eyes focused on Petra.

"I have to use the restroom!" Petra yelped and turned on her heels, scrambling for an escape - not entirely sure why she was being so impulsive - nearly running into two men exchanging kisses except it was on the lips and she was left to wonder whether where you kissed a person revealed your relationship to them on this auspicious day.

"Goodness," she breathed to herself, ducking and avoiding as she made her way towards the restrooms.

Shane raised his brows, confused. "Ah...Petra? What was that…" The boy blinked.

"Where the hell did she have to run off to so fast?" Came a voice.

"Heya Levi." Shane smiled wide, his teeth gleaming as he turned to face his superior. "Iunknow. Wait, before that, we gotta do the Martinstag celebratory ki—"

"Don't even think about it, brat." Levi deadpanned.

Shane laughed nervously, cringing. "Arright so how'd it go?"

"Those aristocrat pricks wouldn't know a shell if it were coming straight for them." He peered at Shane, the white collar of his shirt brushing his taut neck. "I'm going to get some fresh air outside. The smell in here is going to suffocate my lungs."

/

Petra peered out from behind a wall, watching as Levi exited the bar from the side. She let out a held breath. _Ah...what am I doing?_ She shook her head, placing a hand on her forehead underneath her bangs.

 _What happened to getting answers from him?_

With a new resolve a second later and a determined look to boast, the girl looked back up, ready to follow through and actually face him now but instead met with a tall bulky man who had his hands on his hips, watching her with an oddly peculiar look.

"Oh, hello!" Petra started, holding a hand up as greeting.

"I saw you," the man interjected, pointing a finger out towards the crowd, eyes wide. "Watching Mister Ackerman, there, I did. Could it be you have an interest in him?"

"What?" Petra breathed out, trying to keep up. "An interest? No, not at-"

"Oh this is news! It really is! Do not worry. Lucky for you, I am well acquainted with him. Believe me when I say today is your lucky day, being this blessed night!" The man had let himself run with his own preconceived idea, seeming to jump with excitement at his discovery as Petra watched him with a baffled expression that went very quickly from blank to red when he took her by the arm and began leading her towards the exit Levi had left from.

"No, really! This is some misund-"

"Miss, I promise you, he may be dangerous but he is also dangerously beautiful. A beautiful human, I tell you. I knew him since he was young."

 _What?!_ Petra's mouth opened to interject but no sound came out when the horror of her situation dawned over her. They had already made it outside and there, almost immediately, she saw levi sitting at some descending steps in the orange light of the walkway lamps, his back to them.

She immediately felt sick to her stomach.

"Levi! I have someone for you to meet!"

The male didn't move at first but then slowly cocked his head toward them with a stoic expression, his eyes narrowing at the sight of Petra. "Eh? Meet someone?"

Petra kept her eyes locked on the ground, wanting very bad that it would open up and swallow her in this moment.

"This pretty young lad here would like to get to know you. It would do you both well, I tell you." The man almost giggled into his hand. "I think she already knows about you, however, seeing as how she was watching you from afar with hearts in her eyes, she was."

Petra took in a sharp breath at that, staring at the stone gravel. She didn't register the man pat her shoulder before he left but knew a second later that it was now only her and Levi in that walkway, the chill of the night nothing compared to the chill of the following silence.

"Oy-"

"That was a misunderstatement!" Petra began quickly, eyes widening as she corrected herself,"Standing! Misunderstanding."

Levi considered the girl, weighing his options. He decided it a better idea to use the situation to his humor. "Here."

Petra looked up, cheeks flushed against her will. The male patted the spot beside him on the ground.

"Sit down. Come get to know me."


	14. A Cold Night

Author's Note: I saw a request to update so here it is. Also, to Atreides03, I seee you're really thinking ahead hehe. You'll find out;) And yes, I made up Die Kussende Nacht although Martinstag is an already established holiday on its own. Thanks for your question haha it reminded me to clarify.

* * *

Chapter 14: A Cold Night

Calling the weather merely cold would undoubtedly be marred a heavy understatement.

It was downright freezing.

And Petra realized that only after seating herself on the stone step a comfortable foot away from Levi. She brought her arms around her knees in an attempt to shield herself from the chilling wind, realizing the gown she had been wearing since the start of the night was not at all designed to be worn in such breezy temperatures, the sleeves paper thin silk.

"I thought you..." She played with the tiny gold shimmers on her dress, her fingers fumbling and delicately pressing into the seams that held in whatever inner secrets lay in them - the labor used to make the dress or even more, the most likely tainted fortune used to pay for it.

 _My apologies you had to be in the presence of such a dangerous savage_ , Vlak's voice hummed, uninvited.

A dangerous savage? Petra turned her head to peer over at Levi, finding him looking away into the distance. Her honey orbs came to rest on the intricate glitter that had been etched onto that side of his face, forming gold swirls around his cheekbone, stretching out from the corner of his mouth, stopping just beneath the sharp line of his jaw. With the sunset light of the walkway lamps, the design was intensified tenfold, shining like illuminated signs on an even more beautiful manuscript. What she saw was not a savage at all. She had to keep from opening her mouth in awe.

"Why did you come back?" She finally asked, quickly, identifying that as the first question on her mind worth tackling, amongst others, while also not wanting the impending silence to reveal her astonishment. _Get ahold of yourself, Petra! You might have been saved from Vlak but you still don't/know/this man._

"I'm tired of taking orders from that sick excuse of a commander." He practically spat the word 'commander'.

"You mean Vlak."

"He has more than he knows what to do with. And that includes rogues like us to do his illegal bidding. We couldn't say much before but none of that matters now." Levi turned his head to look at her and she noticed without a sliver of doubt that over the past few days, he hadn't gotten much sleep. Not that he ever seemed to sleep before, either. Despite the proof through the intoxicated yet alert way his heavy lidded eyes lazily focused on her, she thought she could spot a decipherable ounce of relief on his countenance.

"Ask what you want." He already knew what it was that she had been waiting - patiently yet despairingly - to know.

"Did you mean what you said back near the train when you said what happened to my Mom hadn't been your fault?"

"I meant that." He added after a short pause, "Your mother was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Petra released a short breath, laying off the heavy past for a moment, having no clear sequence to her questions. "And...and if you had decided you weren't going to follow Vlak's orders from the beginning and not take me to him then—"

"It wasn't from the beginning. The plan was to give you to that dam*ed aristrocrat." He paused, regarding her squarely. "But halfway through, we decided against it."

"But then at the train-"

"We didn't expect Vlak's lapdog to be there. The plan was to take the next train to a boat to Poland."

Petra stared at her hands wide eyed, feeling like her fingers would get frostbitten if she didn't wiggle them around. _Then_ , w _hat made you decide you didn't want to give me away?_

Levi's head had turned away from the ginger-head but his eyes slid to regard her, watching - not cautiously but - truly curious what could possibly be going through her mind. She almost seemed lost now, unsure of what to think. He imagined it had been easier in the beginning to know everyone after her was dangerous and to treat them as such. It felt almost like yesterday that the girl has stabbed Shane in the arm, moving on to look for him next. He could only imagine her next question would be about how he was linked to Vlak in the first place-

"I'm glad...you came back."

It was Levi's turn to be surprised. His eyebrows drew low over his eyes as he festered on the concoction of words still hanging in the air.

Deciding her last comment revealed more than intended, Petra quickly re-coursed, "This holiday you were talking about, Levi, I didn't think it would be this lively. Everyone is all dressed up and in good spirits for the occasion even though they're all going through so much with the war and what else. It's so crazy to me. Only in Rostock." She let out a breath of laughter, a cold puff of air gently leaving her lips in its wake. Yes, she could distract herself from the other millions of questions still swimming within her...after she came to terms with what she had found out already. But until then..."Where do you even find people like that anywhere else..." Petra forced a smile, biting the tip of her thumb in extreme concentration at her own profound wonderment.

Levi stared into the air at nothing in particular. Yes, he could go along with whatever this was. "I see people like that outside of Rostock."

"You do? Where? Which other city could possibly have such stro-"

"Right here." Levi had leaned towards her, grabbing her head to turn it towards him and where he sat staring at her solemnly to make his point, she had her mouth slightly agape, ginger locks framing her stupefied expression.

Petra stayed still even after the dark haired male let go and stood up.

"What the hell are you standing there for, four eyes?"

Four eyes?

Petra turned to look in the supposed direction of company and found none other than Hange, grinning rather wickedly. "Briefed our new member in now, Levi?" She held up a scroll. "Plans get rolling from tomorrow."

New member?

Plans?

Levi looked down at Petra simply, answering her confused expression with a question of his own,"So you want to get back home, don't you?"


	15. Finders Keepers

Author's Note: BTS is going to present at the grammy's WHAAAATTTTTTT Also, what do you guys expect to happen in this story? Just curious.

* * *

Chapter 15: Finders Keepers

"How is your forehead?"

"My forehead...?" Petra snapped back into the present, having been lost in the idea of how many different ways she could throw her boot in Artem's face next she met him. Her fingers went up to hover over the small bandage, the object of Shane's question.

"Yeah. I heard from Levi you fought off a man that attacked you in the alleyway."

Petra looked over at Shane, not missing the wonder in the glint of his eyes. He was impressed. "I did try to. But I wasn't the one who knocked him out."

Shane nodded slowly with his brow raised, looking across the room towards the subject of who he did imagine was the one to commit the deed.

Petra awkwardly brought the tea she made up to her lips, spotting Levi doing the same across the room as he sat atop a couch, glaring into nowhere in particular as Hange went on about her recent discoveries from their travels. A not so distant memory of the dark haired male holding her by the shoulders in front of the train station, eyes wild and urgent, barrelled into her head. Seeing him now, back to his bored of life expression, she had to admit it brought her an absurd relief.

The girl modestly placed her saucer and cup on her lap, biting her bottom lip. Was this okay? Vlak was probably on the roads looking for her, meaning they had to use unconventional means to travel back to her hometown moving forward. Meaning the underground. The only trifling problem from that was when it came to the underworld, there were no rules. Even money or power couldn't do as much as it could on these streets. And then there was the problem of the war making traveling even more trickier-

She jumped at the sound of glass clacking on wood top.

"Hange." Levi had stood up, staring daggers down at the brown haired female. "You're telling me this entire time I'd been running around in circles and you knew that aristocratic rat was at our tail?"

"Ehh, well no." Hange chuckled darkly, fixing her glasses. She pretend yelped when Levi grabbed her shirt collar. "Okay, okay, yes. But what do you expect us to do, Levi. Come running back to tell you both? We trusted you would know what to do."

Levi let go of her with a sound of annoyance, standing back up to run a hand through his hair, agitated.

Petra kept still. An unwelcoming alarm went off in her head signaling it was time she addressed the fact of him being an Ackerman...but what did that entail?

"Petra."

Then again, she hadn't quite come across to addressing all her questions about him. And he hadn't exactly volunteered further information, either.

"Petra!"

The ginger-head jumped in her seat. "Y-yes?"

"What the hell's on your mind? You're making everyone uneasy." The raven haired male cocked his head towards her.

"I...it's nothing." Her eyes slid to the door left ajar, leading back out into the bustling cavern where the townsfolk were still celebrating and drinking away their regrets. "Actually, I think I need some more tea," She stated obtusely, standing up and swiftly walking out of the room.

The other three watched her leave, Levi narrowing his eyes slightly as if he was troubled and looking like he was about to get up before Hange placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Levi, I don't think you're the one she wants to see right now. Give her some space."

"A surprise coming from your mouth like you know all about personal space, don't you, four-eyes." But the dark haired male looked away with a hand under his chin, knowing Hange was right.

/

Petra entered one of the side kitchens from where she had made the tea, unsurprised to find the kettle she had left empty.

Someone at the party must have drank it.

"I think you gotta take stuff easy," A voice said from behind. It was Shane. "I know there's lots to take in where Levi's concerned. Now that ya fully know who he is."

Petra paused, hand hovering over the handle of the kettle. "He. He's never made you do things you didn't want to do, right? Like-"

"Hurt someone?"

Petra's eyes widened at the empty kettle and her head whipped to look at Shane, her shoulder-length locks swaying. Her worried gaze met Shane's reassuring one.

"He ain't how people talk bout him say he is. Yaknow he found me strugglin on the streets and took me in?" Shane eyed the kettle. "I know what people with his name are known for. And for the most part it's true, some of them are ruthless killing machines. It's also true Levi's one'a the most capable but he's also not like the rest of em."

"If he does anything...there's always a darn good reason behind it." Shane finished, gently taking the kettle from her unresponsive hold to fill it with water at the sink.

Petra nodded numbly, eyes refocusing as she watched Shane fill the kettle. From the side, he looked aged as if he had been a few years younger when she had seen him last. The dirty blonde now had small scruffs of hair on his face, a good few days away from shaving, the skin around his eyes slightly strained. The most glaring was the stitch running alongside his right cheek, the gash still red at the seams. It was perhaps only a day or two old.

"Shane." The ginger held a serious expression, bracing a hand on the edge of the counter. "If you don't mind me asking...has everything been okay for the past few days?"

The boy that she had known for as long as she had had never avoided her questions or failed to answer a query but now he stood in front of the sink, still for a lasting moment, turning his head abruptly to shoot her a strained smile. If Petra hadn't known him before this night, she would have actually believed that the heavy lidded set to his eyes with the way he smiled was completely genuine.

"Ah, right. Levi asked me to give you this." He changed the topic with a finger in the air at this mention, opting to fish his other hand into his pocket before retrieving a long silver chain. Something glimmered at the end of it. "He stole it from Vlak's place. 'Stole', it back. You're the original owner, arentya?"

But Petra didn't respond, speechless as she allowed the chained ruby to land into her palm, its essence foreign to her before a screaming familiarity dawned over the fact that this was something her mother had given her when she was only a kid.

/

The celebrations continued to drag on much like they had at the beginning of the fateful evening. People continued their drinks, their extravagant get ups, and the traditional kissing greetings.

This, however, was not working in Petra's favor.

She stood outside the door believed to be where Levi was in, committing the mistake of hesitating to knock to the point that flocks of individuals in the hall found this as a fruitful opportunity to either strike conversation with her or worse, in the case of one unfortunate soul, try to turn the cheek kiss into something it was not.

The random male went so far as to reach his hand towards the door she stood outside, turning the handle cleverly so that she stumbled back into it when he came in for an embrace.

The male's breath stunk of what could only be unrestrained booze and the moment she felt the man's arm come around her and his face come closing in, it must have been either the exhaustion or her quick reflexes, she turned around sharply to avoid the stranger's advances.

Her body fell forward into the new expanse of space of the open room.

And in a harrowing twist of faith, her lips were against someone else's.


	16. Call me Petra

Chapter 16: Call me Petra

Levi had been on his way to the door to see to the commotion outside his room. He nearly had enough drama in one night nor was he in any particularly good mood either.

The last thing he expected was for the honey haired maiden to stumble in and before he could so much as blink, her face closed in, mouth pressed up against his, lips slightly parted in surprise somewhere mid process.

Several emotions soured through him in that second: Disbelief at this disposition, even annoyance at whatever it was that had Petra stumble into him like this but he was astounded at how aversion was not one of them.

Petra's eyes grew like saucers in the same time that her hands came up against Levi's chest and she tripped to step away from him. "I'm so—!"

"It's fine", Levi replied shortly, directing his irate gaze at the man behind Petra, understanding the situation, "Oh you look disappointed. Is it that much of a shock to be rejected by someone you were forcing your sorry self on?"

"Easy. I didn't know she was taken. " The male in the hall mumbled with his hands held up in defense as he shook his head and turned to walk off.

 _Taken?!_ Petra stood frozen from the brief kiss, hand cupped over her mouth as her eyes darted from the fleeing man and back to Levi whose clipped expression hinted at his obvious annoyance.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been waiting outside your room—wait, why are you locking the door?" Her last question came out in hurried panic.

"I don't like disturbances." He shot her a stoic expression after turning back around from the door, waiting for her to continue. He really despised disturbances, in fact. And he didn't need a second in one night. Actually regarding the ginger head now, he noted how she appeared nervous, hands wrung in front as she bit her lip out of habit. He noticed she did that quite a bit, at least, around him.

"You were waiting outside?" Levi urged on patiently.

"Yes", She cleared her throat rather confidently to make her next point just as her eyes caught sight of something unexpected that lay atop the writing desk in the room. "Is that...a pitcher with my tea in it?"

Levi's eyes slowly slid to fall on the object in question. He had forgotten he had taken that.

So he was the one that had emptied out the kettle and kept the tea for himself? Petra couldn't help letting out a small laugh from escaping her as she held her fist against her mouth.

"What the hell's so funny?" He felt like his shirt was suddenly too tight around his neck. What was this damned uncomfortable feeling? He opted to stare confused at the girl, half regretting doing so when she visibly flinched, realizing his stare was very similar to his glare.

"Nothing. I'm glad you like my tea." She hesitated, taking a deep breath. "I just came here to say thank you for saving me from Vlak and-" her fingers absently fiddled with the the necklace she now wore, "For everything tonight. I know I've been avoiding you. It's no mystery...But I'm beginning to come to terms with feeling a little more comfortable."

Levi fell back to sit on the edge of the desk, his hands bracing the ledge as he listened to her ramble, uncharacteristic of the girl since she barely spoke more than two sentences around him. He rather didn't mind.

"Are you ready?"

"Hm?" Petra stopped, half relieved she was cut off from having to continue tripping over her words, bracing a glance up at him.

"It's going to be hard. Newspapers say the war is coming to a close. We're going to have to hide out in Poland until then before we can take you back. Are you ready for this journey?" He half accepted the girl to ask him if she really had a choice so it was a sweet surprise when she responded loud and clear, determination etched in her features.

"I am."

/

Later early that morning, despite the celebrations and festivity of the night trudging on like there was no tomorrow, the crew decided to regroup in the basement of the same building.

Petra drank in her new surroundings as they walked into the large underground shop that appeared a lot like it housed the world's creepiest plush dolls and such. She recoiled her hand as it accidentally brushed past a human size stuffed skeleton man with ruby red eyes she almost swore glinted in the dark just before the chandelier lights flickered on. Levi stood on the other side of the massive room, fixating her with an absurd look.

"Why are you so on edge?"

"Ah…" Petra looked to find the right words, biting her lip in concentration. "Is this where we'll be staying tonight?"

Petra couldn't be so sure but she thought she saw the dark haired male's eyes narrow at something behind her for a quick second before his face fell back to an impassive frown. "Did you have somewhere else in mind?"

"No," She almost cut him off.

Shane came hauling in a bag of supplies they had been carrying along with them which proved as the perfect distraction. She began helping him unload the contents.

"Here's som'a those cans of corn and beans for when we really wanna treat ourselves," The blonde mused, grinning at Petra as she blinked and took the said cans in her hands before placing them on a nearby table which was already covered with cotton fibers and stitching supplies. She almost poked herself with a large needle jutting out from a pin holster in the shape of a witch.

"You'd think this place was haunted if it weren't for the war being more scary, Eh Levi?" Hangi came waddling through carrying a massive box. She must have retrieved it from the actual bar upstairs.

Levi however was occupied running his finger across the table top covered in supplies, his finger coming back pasty and white. The male clicked his tongue, his eyes narrowing in disgust.

This small gesture almost made Petra laugh just as she pursed her lips and looked away quickly.

Shane stopped sorting through their food rations, pausing at Petra's expression and mistaking it for unease. "Heyy, I know it's the basement but we aren't gonna stay that long here, arright?" He hesitated then leaned across the table muddled with sewing supplies, placing a steady hand on the girl's shoulder and shooting her an encouraging smile.

The ginger head simply nodded, not feeling it necessary to explain she felt quite alright knowing she was in the company of these three.

"Well! Let's get some shut eye. We have some folk looking out for Vlak so get some rest for now." Hangi adjusted her glasses, creepily waving her fingers at Petra before heading toward the room next door. But just as quickly, the brunette spun back on the heels of her feet, placing her hands atop her hips while grinning in Levi's direction. "There are only two beds. Guess you'll be sharing with me, Levi, hu hu."

"Don't be ridiculous. Keep the blasted bed to yourself."

Hangi gave a low chuckle at that before stalking away into the room.

Petra tried to sleep afterwards, she did. But with Shane snoring on the bed beside her and the events from the long night playing in her head, she had very little luck with the task.

Succumbing to her sleeplessness, she slipped out from her side of the bed basked in pitch darkness. Trying her best to feel for anything on the floor with her feet before advancing ahead, she tiptoed towards the main hall in search of the bathroom.

Unsuspecting of the sliver of white light cascading out from the edges of what Petra identified as the bathroom door, her hand reached for the handle only to miss its mark as the door flew open and there in the glory of the light flooding out from behind him stood Levi in only a towel from his recent bath.

Petra would have normally let out a yell of surprise but she found her throat now incredibly parched and mind stricken with shock. Her eyes, in their sleepless daze, grazed over the firm built of his shoulders, the tough muscle packing his abdomen and back up to the way his hair was dripping rivulets of water. His grey eyes lay a mix of slight surprise and something unreadable.

"I...I…" Began the ginger head, taking a step back.

"Need to use the restroom," Levi finished for her as a statement with a slight tilt of his head. "How long were you waiting?"

"Not long." _I wasn't waiting at all, I was about to open the door!_ She practically scolded herself.

A pause. "I'm done now. You can go."

"No! I mean, alright but I think I," Petra was struggling for words, unsure if she was more ruffled from being caught staring or from the male not finding this situation odd at all like she did. "I left something in my b-AAH!" Her foot caught onto something sharp, tripping terribly.

In the very moment she realized her demise was the moment strong arms came around her, holding her in place.

"Tch they really need to clean this hell hole," came Levi's voice in a breath near her ear and her face heated up magnificently. The male's arms squeezed around her waist just enough to reposition her on more stable footing, letting go soon after.

The raven haired male then peered at her. And in her flustered state, she thought she detected a hint of something she never really saw play across his expression. Was it smugness?

"You have a talent for waiting outside doors." He stated plainly, suddenly, but the slight curve at the edge of his lips proved he was more than just observing. He was amused.

The honey head found her voice somehow, laughing at that. "I do...don't I."

"Maybe it would be easier for you if I left a bell outside since you refuse to knock."

Well now this playful nature was something foreign. "I reckon I wouldn't use a bell if I can't even use my hand to knock." Since when was she good at wit?

A pause before a breathy chuckle sounded in the silence and looking up through her lashes, Petra stood shocked to find Levi with his lips fully turned up in humor at her reprise.

She had never seen him look like _that_. Like all of a sudden he didn't actually have the weight of everyone's lives on his shoulders, like the war wasn't actually a burden on his conscience. Like he had this moment of carefree calm where he could just be himself, teasing warmth radiating from his eyes.

Petra felt her breath leave her.

Was this the first time he didn't look so hard to approach and high strung?

"Hey. Why do you look like you saw a ghost?"

Crap. There she went with the shocked staring again. Shaking her head quickly, causing her hair to sweep her cheeks, she replied, "You should probably...change…"

Levi raised a brow at that. Then, without warning, he reached his hand out and patted her head before walking off, "Get some sleep, brat."

"Petra.

Just...call me Petra."

Levi stopped at that, turning his head sideways but the ginger head had already turned towards the bathroom, shutting the door softly after her.


End file.
